Endless Pages Lead to Endless Worlds
by LordHellPhoenix
Summary: In the grand scheme of the Multiverse, many of these worlds are greatly effected by Jaune Arc. So a bored Writer decides to bring some of those closest to the Knight to witness some of these worlds firsthand. What effects will this, once in a lifetime, chance have on these few? Only one way to find out: Take a look into the Phoenix Roost. (Reaction series. Coverart: Khor Evik)
1. Prologue

Endless Pages Lead to Endless Worlds

It was shaping up to be a normal day at Beacon Academy. No Dust robberies to stop. No White Fang rallies to investigate. And, above all else, no Grimm invasion of the Kingdom to fight against. It seemed like the craziness around the Kingdom was coming to a close or at the very least, taking a break. And hopefully it would last until the unique hecticness of the Vytal Festival was in full swing.

Which allowed Teams RWBY and JNPR to enjoy their breakfast in peace. Later they would train and prepare for the Vytal Tournament that would begin in a few weeks. But for now, they just sat there and laughed at a joke Nora had made. All just taking the chance to feel the contentment of being together.

No one noticed the small green flame come to life in the corner of the cafeteria. The flame erupted across the whole room but still, no one reacted. The flames died down and there was silence as all sound in the cafeteria became silent. Every student in the room was completely frozen unmoving since the flame had overtaken them. Some in mid bite, others talking or laughing and other's stopped in mid-step.

One sound started to resound throughout the room. Shoes slowly walking across the floor of the cafeteria. From the focal point of where the green fire originated, walked a man wearing black sneakers, jeans and a hoodie with the hood up to hide his face. His hands were in his pockets as he slowly walked from the side of the room to where RWBY and JNPR were sitting. His head was slowly moving around, just taking in his surroundings.

"So, this is Beacon." He spoke calmly but with a hint of excitement to his voice. "Seen this place more times than I care to count. Nice to finally be here." He then sighed, "Time to get to business though, sadly." He looked to the table with the two teams he knew very well. Immediately, orange flames erupted around seven of them and completely covering them from view. When they dissipated, they were nowhere to be seen and only leaving Jaune still frozen by himself. "Would bring you along but I don't want to risk anything. Won't be long for you though."

He turned from the table and looked around, "Those seven…" He looked around the cafeteria before he turned his head towards Beacon tower before his own form was wrapped in orange fire and disappearing similar to the seven students previously.

The flames dissipated and the man now stood in the middle of Ozpin's office. He looked to the familiar desk to see the Headmaster sat behind it with Glynda Goodwitch to his left and Qrow Branwen behind and to his right, leant against the window. On the other side of the desk was General Ironwood and his Specialist, Winter Schnee. The man tilted his head slightly, "One extra. Oh well, it'll do." Orange flames consumed the five before they disappeared. "That's everyone on the list, except for one. I'll have to make a quick stop before I leave. Then, it's time for the fun part." A smirk stretched across his lips as he disappeared yet again in flames.

In the middle of a good sized dining hall, orange flames erupted and Team RWBY and NPR were standing in the center of it. They all stopped their laughing and looked around, thoroughly confused. Ruby was the one to speak up, "Guys, where are we?"

Yang shrugged, "I have no idea, sis."

Weiss looked around with a critical look, "A better question is _how_ did we get here?"

Nora looked around before she turned to Ren, "Is this because I snuck that coffee when you guys weren't looking? Because I'm so, so sorry!"

Ren shook his head, "No, Nora. I swapped it out for decaf when you weren't looking."

Blake was looking around while on edge, "Well, if it wasn't Nora and her… usual antics, then who else could it be?"

"Um, guys." Pyrrha spoke up as she looked between them all in a panic, "Where's Jaune?"

They all quickly looked around and confirmed that the blonde leader of JNPR was nowhere to be found. "Ahhh!" Nora screamed, "Where's our Fearless Leader?! What's gonna happen to him?!"

Before she could continue to panic, orange flames erupted ten feet away from them. That put the seven of them on guard until the flames dissipated revealing Ozpin, Goodwitch, Qrow, Ironwood and Winter. "We need to prepare for the Festival, Oz. You know what…" the General stopped as he looked around, "What on Remnant?"

Qrow was looking around, just as confused, "Oz, any idea on just what is going on?"

Ozpin looked around, seeming calm but tensed for the worst. His hand tightening on his cane, "I have no idea. But let's be cautious. There's no telling on what is here."

"Uncle Qrow!" shouted a voice as a small red bundle slammed into the man's arm. He raised it and looked down in slight shock to see it was his niece, "Did you miss me!?"

Qrow took a second to blink lethargically before he smirked, "Nope." He then ruffled her hair as he set her down on the ground. He looked up to see Yang walking over as well, "You're here too, Firecracker?"

As they were having that family reunion, Weiss was speed walking over to her sister with a hardly restrained smile on her lips, "Winter, it's so good to see you."

Winter raised her eyebrow in confusion, "Weiss? What are you doing here?"

Weiss just shook her head, "I don't know. My friends and I appeared here shortly before you all."

Goodwitch looked over her students, making sure they were okay before she turned her gaze to the room as a whole. She was trying to get a better grasp on where they were as the older family members were being introduced to their younger's friends and teams. She was the first to be ready to fight when another smaller flame appeared in the room but to their shock, the person who stepped out was no other than Taiyang Xiao Long. He looked around confused, "Okay, what's going on?"

"Dad!?" shouted Yang and Ruby.

"Tai?" asked Qrow.

"Ruby, Yang, Qrow?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well, that's everyone." Said an unknown voice that seemed to envelop the entire room. Another burst of flames came from the far wall as the same figure from before walked out casually and towards them.

"Not another step!" commanded the General as he reached for his weapon but was shocked he found nothing. Several other's also realized they were missing their weapons.

That caused the figure to chuckle, "Just some advice: It really isn't smart to demand anything when you have no idea what the person can do." He looked them all over from under his hood. The older members stepping in front of their family members or teammates. While Ozpin just stared at him analytically. "As for your weapons, they are exactly where you left them. I though it'd be better if you didn't have them while we talked. Except for Ozpin, of course, but he's more levelheaded.

"Who are you?" Yang hissed out while standing in front of her sister.

"Now that's the question." He pulled his right hand from his pocket, revealing that the back of it was tattooed: a black fire with two wings coming off from either side and continued up his middle finger where the knuckles were covered by black rings. He pulled the hood down and revealed his face to everyone there. Brown hair came down to just above his warm brown eyes that were behind a pair of black framed glasses. He had a small grin on his face as he spoke, "My name is LordHellPhoenix. Please call me Phoenix."

They all just stared at him for a bit before Nora spoke, "What kinda name is that?"

That caused Phoenix to laugh, "It does sound strange from an outside perspective. It's not my true name but the one I gave myself. Beings like myself just can't be giving such sensitive information as our real names out."

That confused a few of them. Ozpin was the one to speak up, "What do you mean by 'Being'?"

Phoenix pointed to the Headmaster, "That's a great question. But first, why don't we all sit down before we have this conversation." He turned his back to all of them and started to walk towards the table. They all looked at each other in confusion before Yang shot forward, pulling her fist backward to drive into his back.

No one could stop her as Phoenix turned around and raised his right hand. She gave a shout as she sent her fist forward before it was stopped. All were shocked, no one more so than Yang. Not because her attack was stopped but because it was stopped with a single finger. She looked up at his face but he still had that grin on his face as he tilted his head slightly, "Done?"

Yang just nodded slowly, partially scared as she pulled her fist away. Phoenix just dropped his hand and sat down at the head of the dining table. He then motioned with his hand to the table and the other people in the room all settled into its seats. When they were all seated he raised his right hand, "Refreshments?"

Before he got an answer, his hand was surrounded in violet fire. Most were stunned by the unusual color of the flames before he placed his hand on the table. Two trails of fire raced up either side of the table, leaving a ring of the same color flames in front of every person seated. The flames grew brighter until they vanished, leaving mugs of piping hot beverages in front of them all. They all looked stunned and looked back to the mysterious man as he raised his own mug to his lips to take a sip. "How did you do that!?" Ruby asked with stars in her eyes.

Phoenix sighed as he placed his mug down, "That will have to remain my secret, Ruby. Sorry."

The reaper pouted and Yang looked at him in confusion, "How do you know her name?"

"Because it's my job to. To know all of you." That had them all on edge, "Now onto business. You want to know what I am but before I can explain that, have any of you heard of the multiverse theory?" Several hands raised: Ruby's, Yang's, Pyrrha's and Ozpin's. Phoenix nodded, "Makes sense. Three of you read comics and it would make sense to someone as…wise as Ozpin. To give a short summary, the Multiverse theory is the belief that there is more than a single universe. And each one is different in either little ways like possibly someone having a different gender or huge ones like the 'good guys' are in fact the 'bad guys.' That make sense?" He waited for them to respond and most started to nod their heads. "Now what would you say if I told you, it's _very_ real?"

That gained a lot of stunned reaction until it was Goodwitch spoke up, "How exactly would you know that?"

Phoenix gave her a grin, "Because I am one of the many that can see into it and traverse it."

That absolutely shell-shocked everyone sitting there. If what this man was saying was true then they were sitting down with an entity they could barely wrap their heads around, "You're a God?" Ozpin asked, a bit of trepidation in his voice.

Phoenix looked at the older man and sighed as his hand massaged his forehead, "I hate being called that. No, I am not a God. The best way to describe my position in the Multiverse is that I am one step above the Gods you know of but I'm not 'all-powerful'." He took another sip of his coffee before he continued, "Other's like me believe themselves to be Gods but we are not. We do not create the worlds of the Multiverse. We just observe them. We watch, we record and we share them. We do have powers that could be call God-like but its only because we know how to manipulate the energies of the Multiverse, either on a conscious or subconscious level."

"Why observe worlds?" Pyrrha asked, just trying to wrap her head around anything.

"People like me or Writers, have different reasons for why they do what they do. Mine is simple: there are many worlds that only I can see. So I record them so others can also see them. That way, those worlds aren't lost to the tides of eternity. And maybe the worlds I record will inspire others to find their own. The loss of a world isn't the saddest thing that can happen. As sad as it is, all things come to an end. The true tragedy is them being forgotten." He raised his mug again but smirked, "Plus, I enjoy what I do very much." He took another sip with that.

"You still failed to answer where we are and why we are here." Winter asked in her professional tone.

The Writer placed his mug down and rested his chin on his fist, very casually, "Where you are is my own world or pocket dimension. Pretty much where I reside when I'm not exploring the Multiverse. I call it the Phoenix Roost. And you're here because I'm going to offer you a chance not many get. To take a look into the Multiverse for yourselves."

"And what does that mean exactly?" the ever cautious Blake asked.

"Easy. If you choose to take me up on the offer, I'll show several worlds I've found. Maybe they'll inspire you to do something different in your own lives. Maybe they'll make you want to change yourself for the better. Maybe even have a different impact on the world around you. Or maybe just let you answer the question, 'How would I be if things were different.' Or maybe you'll just see it as entertainment, like watching your other selves and the people you know as characters in a movie. Honestly, whatever you take away from this experience is up to you."

They were all silent and many of them were having their interests raised by that. Ren however brought up a good point, "This offer sounds amazing but we have lives to live. We can't just stay here."

Phoenix waved the concern away, "Don't worry. When I brought you here, I slowed down your world's time to a crawl. You could spend years here and virtually no time will pass there. Don't worry though, you won't be here that long. A few hours, a day at worst. But if any of you aren't interested, I'll send you back." He leant back with his arms crossed, "But fair warning: every world I show you will have one person in common and they will have a huge impact on that world." His grin grew before he said the next part, "And you seven know _him_ very well."

The seven mentioned students were confused for a bit until something just clicked for Pyrrha. She gasped, "Are you talking about Jaune?"

That stunned the other six and Phoenix nodded, "The very same."

"How is that possible?" Weiss asked. It wasn't in a cruel tone just confusion. Her opinion on the young Arc had changed since the Dance but it still was confusing to her. "How can Jaune of all people be that important to so many worlds?"

Phoenix chuckled, "Usually I'd pretty mad for someone insulting my favorite person from your's and many worlds…" That made a few of them go on edge, "But seeing as you're thawing from Ice Queen into Snow Angel, I know you're just curious." He chuckled when Weiss went from seething to slight embarrassment from the nicknames.

"Anyways, Jaune is just a unique case in your corner of the Multiverse. Jaune Arc is a being in flux. I've seen him be the hero to save the world. The villain that wants to rule it. A monster who's sole purpose is to destroy it. The soldier that sacrifices his life for his loved ones to escape. The tortured soul that falls into darkness. But in all those worlds, he sends shockwaves through that Remnant and changes its future. For better. Or for worse." He shook his head and looked at them all with that small smile, "That is why me and other Writers seek out worlds with him. Because he is an extraordinary young man in many worlds. And its always interesting to see just what those versions of him can do."

That made Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, Ruby and Ozpin all smile in pride. Knowing that the young man could be so much. In contrast, Weiss, Blake, Yang and Goodwitch were stunned considering their reasons. Qrow, Tai and Winter didn't have much of a change. More intrigued by this person that had a connection to their respective families. And finally Ironwood was also intrigued but for another reason: If this Jaune Arc was so influential, could he be the key to stopping this dammed war.

"So, why isn't our Fearless Leader here then?" Nora asked.

"Your version of Jaune hasn't reached his potential yet. If he were to see other versions of himself, it could affect how that potential is obtained and form it'll take. Aka, it could turn your 'Fearless Leader' into someone he wasn't meant to be. Plus, it's less of a headache for everyone involved, trust me."

"So, that just leaves me with one thing to ask of you all." He leant forward on his arms and smiled more, "Any of you interested?"

* * *

**A/N- Yeah, I did it. I finally made my own Reaction story. I've always found them amusing and decided to try it out for myself. Now before I start this I have two things to say: Please do not leave 'gifts' and suggestions for chapters in the reviews. Those just bog down the reviews and I'd rather have them with suggestions for the character interactions or suggestions for future characters. I also have all the chapters I will do planned out and I doubt I'll be looking for anymore. With that said, hope you enjoyed it so far and will be eager for the next one. See you all in the next update!**


	2. Papa Has a Brand New Excuse

**Source Material: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air- Papa's Got a Brand New Excuse**

* * *

Phoenix was walking down the hallways of the manor known as Phoenix Roost while the inhabitants of Remnant followed behind him as they looked around curiously. Phoenix had a smile on his face a she turned back to them, "I'm glad you all agreed to this. Honestly, it would've been a shame to bring you all here if none of you agreed."

"Well I don't know about everyone else but I wanna see how amazing my Fearless Leader can be!" Nora said excitedly.

Phoenix chuckled, "Just going to warn you in advance but some of these worlds you probably won't like much." He shook his head, "Anyways, you will have free reign of the manor in between viewings. There are a number of rooms already established in here that you may find exciting but if you wish for a specific room, just ask and I'll create it in one of the wings."

"You can do that?" Ruby asked stunned.

Phoenix nodded before looking at her, "Yes, I can. We Writers are at our most powerful in our own pocket dimensions. I literally can control everything here if I wanted. So, creating a new room is simple." That was intimidating to quite a few of the guests, "Also, two rooms will be barred from you here. One is my personal study, where I record worlds. The other is one that allows me to travel to other worlds. So, you can see why I can't allow you in there."

Ozpin nodded, "That is quite wise. I would not wanna think of what could happen if those were abused."

"Honestly, it would be massive headaches for me." Phoenix chuckled before standing at a massive window and looking out it. The others stopped and did the same. All gasped at the view. What they saw was a breathtaking view of the snow-covered forest that stretched as far as the eye could see. The forest lead up to a massive, frozen lake with several snow capped mountains in the background. Fresh snow was gently coming down, amplifying the beauty and tranquility.

"It's…beautiful." Pyrrha said honestly. Everyone silently agreed with it. Even those that originally hailed from Atlas, this blew the Kingdom out of the water.

"I probably spent most of my time on that." Phoenix said simply with a small grin. "Every time I look out there, it's like all the stress I have just melts away." They all became quiet as they all kept watching the snow fall. Eventually, Phoenix sighed, "Alright, let's get moving. Those worlds won't view themselves." He started to walk away and the guests slowly started to follow along.

They eventually came to a set of double doors that opened automatically when they were close enough to it. Inside was a very small cinema room. A screen took up the entire opposite wall to the door. The floor declined slightly and in the middle of the room were thirty-five comfortable chairs. Set in five rows of seven. On the right was an entire concession stand with a soda machine and popcorn maker. On the left was a single chair set against the wall.

Phoenix entered and slowly made his way over to the standalone chair. "Make yourselves at home. Just so you know, the buckets and cups at the concession stand are bottomless. Once you filled them, they will always refill themselves. If you want a different drink, just fill it with something else and the cup will shift to the new beverage. It is also capable of generating any food you could be craving, just grab a plate to do so. Only thing it won't create is alcohol."

"Are you serious?" Qrow asked in annoyance.

Phoenix shrugged unapologetically, "My place, my rules. Also, before you try, the cups won't regenerate any alcohol you try to pour into them either."

Everyone grabbed what they were craving, most just grabbed popcorn to split and a beverage of some sort. The students sat in the front row and went from right to left in this order: Ren, Nora, Pyrrha, Ruby, Weiss, Yang and Blake. The adults sat in the row behind them: Winter, Ironwood, Ozpin, Goodwitch, Qrow and Tai. The left most chair being empty.

"So, what is the first world we will be seeing?" Weiss asked politely.

Phoenix pulled out a small leather bound book from the side of his chair. It was red with his symbol on the cover. He opened it and started to look through it, "This book contains all the universes I plan on showing you, for the most part. But, we'll start with a world not too different from your own as a start." He found the page he was looking for and stopped, "In this world, Jaune is pretty much the same Jaune you all know. Except, he is an only child."

That shocked quite a few of his friends, Pyrrha was the one to ask the question though, "But Jaune told us he had seven sisters, what happened?"

Phoenix sighed sadly, "In this world, his father left his mother when he was young. Jaune grew up not knowing his father and not having any siblings because of that." That struck a chord with several of the viewers, none more than Yang. With Weiss and Winter being a close second, considering the kind of man their father was.

"Anyway, when Jaune got old enough, he wanted to become a Huntsman. So his mother decided to send him to live with her sister to better train him. One Summer Rose." He said with a smirk.

"Jaune is our cousin!?" Yang and Ruby shouted. Both in shock.

Phoenix laughed, "In this universe, yes. Yours, no." That cause the two to calm down. "And before you ask, in this world Summer is indeed alive and well." That was a bittersweet feeling to her family though. Yes, they wanted to see her but it wasn't the same as her being with them again.

"The part I'm going to show you is when Jaune's father, Noah, comes back into his life and what happens because of it." With those words, a small fireball formed above the open pages and shot off towards the screen. It was absorbed on contact and soon the screen came to life.

**It showed a very familiar cabin on Patch, just after dark.**

"It's our house!" Ruby said excitedly.

"Well, he did just say that Jaune was staying with you." Blake said, pointing out the obvious and causing Ruby to look sheepish.

**Tai and Summer were in the kitchen. Tai was doing up the dishes and Summer was on the phone with her sister. She was reassuring he that they were keeping an eye on Jaune with Noah back to be sure he was okay. That was when the back door opened and Jaune shouted, "We're back!" he had the biggest smile on his face and looked exactly like the Jaune they all knew, except he was wearing a black jacket and not his hoodie.**

"What happened to his hoodie?" Pyrrha asked. She knew just how much he loved it and how many boxes of cereal he had to eat to get it.

Phoenix answered, "He still has it. But the jacket is a present from his father, so he's been wearing it instead."

"Honestly, it doesn't look bad on him." Yang added her own opinion.

**The man standing next to him had just as big smile and looked so similar to Jaune, he couldn't be mistaken as anything other than his father. He was just slightly taller with the same hair, albeit a bit shorter. He had green eyes with a slightly more tanned complexion and more built physique. He also had five o'clock shadow. He was also wearing a black jacket almost identical to his son's.**

"Wow. If that is what Jaune is going to look like, he is gonna make one lady really happy." Nora said as she nudged Pyrrha. Said redhead was blushing at both the teasings and the thought of her partner becoming _that _at some point.

**Summer hung up the phone as she walked over with a smile, "Did you have a good time?"**

"**We rode every rollercoaster in the park." Noah said happily with a slightly deeper voice than Jaune's.**

"**Yeah. Almost threw up like three times." Jaune added before they started to laugh. **

"**That's my boy." Noah said in pride as he pointed to Jaune.**

**Summer nodded, "I'm glad you two got to spend some time together."**

Yang just smiled at the scene. She had always had that fantasy of her mother coming back and reconnecting. Even if nowadays those odds were slim to none. But she was happy for this version of Jaune, regardless.

**Jaune nodded with a smile, "And we're just getting started." He said as he threw his arm over his father's shoulders. "Isn't that right, Dad?"**

"**Yup!" Noah said happily.**

**Tai turned to them wearily, "What do you mean?"**

"Uh oh, you don't look happy, Tai." Qrow mentioned. Tai just tilted his head slightly as he watched.

"**Oh, my dad has to hit the road tomorrow and I'm going to go with him." He explained. The two missed Summer and Tai exchange concerned looks. Jaune kept talking, "Why should I spend my summer here in Patch when I can hit the road with my dad?" he started to play fight with the man. "He can show me some of his moves before I go to Beacon."**

**Noah smiled at the married couple, "It'll be a great way for Jaune to see Remnant."**

"Well that's nice." Weiss said out loud. Partially envious that her own father wasn't like that.

"**Forget it." Tai said with a tone of finality. Summer just stood beside him and had the look that just said she agreed with him.**

"**Come on, Tai." Noah said. "The boy could use a little adventure."**

"**Excuse me but this is a family discussion." Tai said without a hint of remorse.**

"Ouch, Tai, that was cold." Qrow spoke up.

"Yeah! Why aren't you letting Jaune spend time with his dad?" Ruby turned back to her father.

Tai thought about it, "He did abandon the kid when he was a baby. My other self may be worried he'll just hurt him again."

"**Hey, Uncle Tai…" Jaune started.**

"**Hey, hey, hey." Noah said calmly as he raised his hand, trying to keep Jaune calm. "It's okay. It's okay." Jaune just kept looking between his uncle and father in shock as Tai kept glaring at Noah. He put his hand down, "I'll wait outside." He motioned to the backdoor before walking out.**

**With Noah gone, Jaune turned to Tai, clearly annoyed. "Uncle Tai, that is not cool, you can't talk to my father like that."**

**Tai turned back to him, "The hell with your father."**

"Oh man. This isn't going to be pretty." Nora winced. Ren and Pyrrha nodded, they knew just how much Jaune cared for his family and what he'd do for them.

"What's with that?" Yang asked angrily. "He finally comes back and you won't let him see his son?"

"If he wanted to see his son, he shouldn't have left in the first place." Tai said coldly and earning a red eyed glare from his daughter. He may not personally know Jaune but the feelings he was feeling were the very same one she had for Raven since she left both him and their daughter. In all honesty, if Raven came back to see Yang, he'd probably act very similar.

**Summer tried to stop this before it got any worse, "Tai, for Oum's sake." **

**Tai ignored his wife and continued with what he had to say, "He waltzes in here after fifteen years?" **

"**Fourteen." Jaune interrupted. **

"**Excuse me. Fourteen years and acts like nothing has happened." Tai said sarcastically before he tried desperately to get through to his nephew. "Wake up, Jaune. This is the same guy who didn't think enough of you to pick up the damn phone!"**

**Jaune just stared at his uncle, trying to ignore everything he was saying. Trying to defend his father, Jaune started getting more frustrated. "He made a mistake. I'm sorry that everybody can't be as **_**perfect**_** as you, Uncle Tai, but if I can forgive him, how come you can't?" **

**Tai just looked him in the eyes, "Because he's not doing this for you, he's doing this for himself-" Jaune just shook his head and started to walk away, "and if you think any differently, then you're a fool!" Jaune spun back around and glared. **

"I'm not liking where this is going." Ruby said, hating to see family argue.

**Summer had enough at that point. "Hey, just cool it." She walked in between them with a purpose in her step. "Just cool down. We can talk about this another time." **

**Jaune didn't look at her as he just kept staring at Tai. "You know what, Aunt Sum?" He said as he took a step closer and not backing down. He then turned to her, "There isn't even anything to talk about." He went back to looking at Tai, "I've been waiting for this for a long time, **_**my whole life**_** and nobody is gonna stop me. Come tomorrow, I'm out of here."**

"**Oh yeah, I don't think so." Tai tried putting his foot down.**

"**Who cares what you think? You are not my father!" Jaune shouted at the top of his lungs. Tai just stared at him in shock but couldn't utter a word. With his piece said, Jaune turned away and stormed out of the house. Summer went over to her husband and gently held him, trying to make him feel better. All he did was stare out the door where his nephew just stormed out off.**

That caused the Tai in the room to wince, "Okay, that hurt."

Goodwitch nodded, "Indeed. You could see it in his eyes. He does care for Mr. Arc a great deal and him saying that hurt him more than any punch would."

Yang looked down at that. She was guilty of saying some terrible things to her dad when she was younger and he would get a similar look. Those mostly came from when he would become tight lipped about her mother and she would explode just the same. She was wondering if it made her feel worse now seeing it from an outside perspective

**Jaune was in his room, packing his bag with everything he would need for the summer with his father. He had an easy smile on his face as he did. That was when he heard a light knock on his door frame. He turned to see it was Tai, "Hi, can I talk to you really quick?" he asked.**

**Jaune just nodded as Tai walked in. He nervously cleared his throat, "Look, uh, Uncle Tai…I owe you an apology."**

**Tai raised his hand slightly, "No, no." he put it down. "I'm the one. I'm sorry."**

**Jaune nodded after a second, "I guess we both said things we didn't mean."**

"**No, I meant what I said." He admitted. "But I was just out of line."**

"Tai, not really the time." Qrow muttered just loud enough for him to hear. Tai just shrugged.

"**Uncle Tai, man. Look, you know I appreciate everything you've done for me." He told him honestly. "But this isn't about you, this is something I have to do for me." He tried to explain himself.**

"**Yeah, I know. I know, son." He said sadly. "And I wish you the best. Good luck. I'll miss you."**

**Jaune nodded, "Me too." Jaune took a step forward and hugged Tai, who returned it right away. They pulled apart and Tai turned towards the door. "Hey, Uncle Tai." He turned back to his nephew. "You know this is just for the summer, right?"**

**Tai just gave him a smile before he walked out of the room. Jaune watched him leave before turning back to his partially packed bag, deep in thought.**

**Tai and Summer were sitting in the living room the later on in the afternoon, letting Jaune say goodbye to Yang and Ruby in the backyard. Summer looked over to the clock, "Where is Noah? He was supposed to be here and hour ago."**

**Tai sighed, "I knew this was gonna happen."**

Yang felt her grip on the armrests grow tighter at that. She was hoping that her dad was wrong on this. This was hitting very close to home and she wanted to see a happy ending for once.

**Summer tired to be optimistic regardless of Tai's thoughts though, "Maybe he got stuck in traffic."**

"**Yeah, on his way out of town." He said dismissively. Summer just gave him a look but before either could say anything, there was a knock on the door. **

Yang gave a sigh as her grip loosened.

"Yay! He made it!" Ruby shouted in joy. This may not be her Jaune but she still didn't want to see her best friend hurt. The other students weren't as vocal but they were also glad that he didn't just leave Jaune again.

**They turned to it just in time to see Noah let himself in, "Sorry I'm late. Business." He said with an apologetic smile. He walked over to the couple before sitting down in the armchair, "I was talking to this guy, he has a shipment of supplies that's got to go from Vale to Mistral. Very difficult road though. So he's looking for special Huntsmen to help out and he just so happened to find one of the best in the business." He said with a cocky smile. "And I'll make myself five grand." **

Weiss did not like the way he was talking. It was sounding a bit too like her father for her comfort. And that only let her think of one suitable outcome to this. "Don't do it." She said without meaning to.

Ruby looked at her partner in confusion, "Don't do what, Weiss?"

"**Oh, that's terrific." Summer said, trying to stay hopeful. "Guess you and Jaune will have to get a move on then."**

**Noah's expression shifted from jovial to nervous in an instant, "Well, now that's the problem. Umm, as good as I am, I wouldn't be able to do this on my own. So I need to pick up an extra Huntsman."**

"**Oh." Tai drawled on. "So, there won't be any room for Jaune."**

"**No this trip." Noah admitted.**

Yang's grip tightened once again. Her eyes turned red as she glared at the screen, "You son of a bitch." She hissed out.

"I'm gonna break his legs!" Nora shouted as she stood up.

Ren grabbed her forearm, "You can't, Nora." He told her seriously with a cold fury in his eyes as he kept his eyes on the screen. Nora sat down with a pout but listened to him, nonetheless.

**Tai stood up, "You know what, Noah? I'll get Jaune an airship ticket to Mistral and he can meet you there. Then you could have the rest of the summer together." He offered but knew exactly what the other blonde would say.**

"**That's um, mighty generous of you, Taiyang." Noah said as he stood up. "But, uh, this job could lead to another big one and I need to stay flexible. You know what I'm saying?" he finished with another nervous smile. **

"**Oh yeah, I know what you're saying." His tone telling him just how unimpressed he was.**

"**Jaune is gonna be crushed." Summer spoke up while still sitting on the couch. **

"**Yeah…" he looked down before looking up, "That's why I was thinking, maybe you two should break the news to him."**

"Bastard." Winter, yes Winter Schnee, muttered under her breath. She was getting flashbacks of her life before leaving the manor and she didn't like it.

Ironwood and Ozpin couldn't agree more. They may have been quiet during this viewing but neither were happy with this version of Jaune's father. Ozpin was just glad that his version of Jaune had a better father than this one.

**Tai turned away in frustration while running a hand down his face. "Summer, could you check up on Yang and Ruby out back?" **

**Summer stood up while glaring at Noah. She started to walk over to her husband, "You're not going to hit him, are you? Because I wouldn't want to miss that."**

"Right there with you." Tai was the one to speak up this time. All of Jaune's friends nodded with him along with Qrow and Winter for obvious reasons.

**Tai crossed his arms over his chest, "No. I'm not gonna hit him."**

"Shame." Goodwitch answered with her own patented glare.

**Summer walked right up to Noah as he refused to look her in the eyes. "Noah, if you walk out of Jaune's life now, don't you ever come back." That's when she turned around and walked out of the living room.**

"Go, Mom." Ruby said with an edge that very few ever heard from her.

**When Summer was gone, Tai spoke up, "Sit down." **

**The wayward father tried to walk away, "I don't have time for a lecture."**

**Tai uncrossed his arms and took a step closer to him, "I said sit down, Noah!" He said with a dangerous edge to his voice. Noah stopped and stood there for a few seconds before he reluctantly sat down on the couch. The whole time not looking at Tai. He just took a deep breath before he spoke again, "You know, Jaune was doing just fine until you showed up. But now that you're back, you have responsibilities to him."**

"Damn right." Tai said out loud.

**Noah tired playing it off, "Hey, look, we're still gonna take the trip..."**

**Tai quickly cut in, "Oh, bull! BULL! Jaune is not a coat that you hang in the closet, then pick it up when you're ready to wear it. His life goes on. He's not supposed to be here for you! You're supposed to be here for him!"**

**Noah stood from the couch while angrily shouting, "You get off my back! You think I want this?! IT JUST HAPPENED! Now, when Jaune was a baby, I was scared..."**

**Tai cut him off again, tired of his excuses, "CUT THE CRAP, ALL RIGHT?! CUT IT! 'Cause I've been there! But I didn't run out of my family. I was there every day from them because that's what a man does." **

Ruby looked over her seat at her dad, "You were scared?"

He nodded, "I think most parents are before their child is born. But they overcome that fear because they love them unconditionally. Most times." He said the most part quietly but Yang and a few others still heard it."

"**Fine, Taiyang! You win. You the man. You a better man than me." he said flippantly. Tai just sighed and looked away. "You happy?" He looked back up at him with nothing but disdain. "Now, are you gonna tell Jaune or not?"**

**He just stared him down. "I'm not gonna do your dirty work for you."**

"**Fine. I'll call him from the road." Noah started to walk away.**

"**Yeah, why don't you do that?" Tai stared into the back of the other blonde's head.**

"**Yeah, I'll do that." He said without even turning around.**

**He was right at the door when Jaune walked in with his bag on his back. With a smile he said, "Dad!" Noah stopped and Tai turned away from them as he continued. "What's up?"**

"Oh no." Pyrrha said simply.

**Noah turned back to him with a nervous smile on his face. "Jaune. Man, I'm glad you're here." He started to walk closer to his son. "Some business came up I gotta handle. So we're gonna have to put our trip on hold. You understand."**

**Jaune just froze. The excitement on his face turning to realization before disappointment. "Yeah, that's cool." He said as he started to mess with the collar of his jacket, the same one from the man in front of him.**

"**Just for a couple of weeks." Noah tried to appease him.**

**Jaune just nodded his head repeatedly, not looking into his father's eyes. "I understand."**

"**Maybe a little longer." He continued as he looked away slightly.**

"**Yeah, whatever. Whatever." Jaune continued as he looked down to scratch his nose. Before finally looking into his eyes.**

"**Look, I'll call you next week and we'll iron out the details. Okay?"**

"**Yeah, yeah." Jaune said with fake enthusiasm and just a fake smile. **

"**It was great seeing you, son." Noah said sincerely.**

"**You too... Noah." Jaune said, not even trying to act anymore. **

**Noah realized what Jaune meant and slowly looked down, "Yeah…" he said quietly. He kept trying to look up but couldn't meet his son's eyes. "Yeah…um-" He just turned around and walked out of the house, not looking back.**

Yang just grit her teeth as a tear slid down from her red eyes. She felt a hand lay on top of her own and turned to her left. She looked past Weiss to Ruby who had reached across her partner. Her younger sister had the same unshed tears in her eyes. But Yang knew that they weren't just for the Jaune on screen.

She looked down and sniffled as her eyes shifted back to lilac. Ruby stood up and walked over to her sister. She hugged her as she sat down on her sister's lap as the blonde cried silent tears into her shoulder. Blake and Weiss each put an arm around their respective partner to show them they were there for them.

**Jaune just kept staring at the door as he was breathing deeply. Tai stood behind him with his arms crossed. He looked down as he spoke sincerely, "I'm sorry, Jaune." **

**He just turned to his uncle with a smile on his face, trying to act like it didn't bother him, "You know what? Actually, this works out better for me, you know. Some of the girls at Signal have been dropping some hints, maybe I should see if they are serious or not…"**

"**Jaune, it's all right to be angry." Tai told him honestly.**

**Jaune tried to keep up his nonchalant attitude, "Hey, why should I be mad? At least he said goodbye this time. I just wish I hadn't wasted my time making this **_**stupid**_** present." he said as his frustration and anger leaked out as he pulled a dagger from his backpack before placing it down on the coffee table. **

"Oh, Jaune." Pyrrha said sadly as tears started to travel down her own cheeks.

Nora was being hugged by Ren as she cried just as much, "He's hurting, Ren. He's hurting so much."

Ren just nodded and gently rubbed her back, "I know, Nora. I know." The usually stoic young man had a few of his own tears breaking through his tranquil mask.

"**I-I'm sorry. You know, if there was something that l..." Tai tried to console him. **

"**You know what, you don't have to do anything, Uncle Tai." Jaune had his nonchalant mask on again. "It's not like I'm still five years old, you know. It's not like I'm going to be sitting up every night asking my mom, "When's Daddy coming home?", you know. Who needs him? Hey, he wasn't there to teach me how to swing my first sword, but I learned, didn't I? And I got pretty damn good at it too, didn't I, Uncle Tai?" **

"**Yeah, you did." He said with a small unconvincing smile. **

"**Got through my first date without him, right?" He started to count off on his fingers, "I learned how to drive, I learned how to shave, I learned how to fight without him. I had **_**fourteen**_** great birthdays without him. He never even sent me a damn card!" He then turned back toward the front door before shouting, "To hell with him!"**

Hearing that was all it took for Ruby, Weiss and Blake to break down fully as well. The latter two weren't as close to him but they could just feel how much pain he was going through. And that was mixing with their own painful memories of their own families. One of them not being there and the other for running away from them.

**Tai just looked down, not sure on what to say to him. Jaune was taking several deep breathes and ran a hand through his hair, desperately trying to regain his composure. "I didn't need him then and I don't need him now." He said before trying to walk past Tai.**

**Tai turned around, "Jaune..."**

**He turned back to him, his anger starting to take hold, "No, you know what, Uncle Tai? I'm gonna get through Beacon without him, I'm gonna become a great Huntsman without him, I'm gonna marry a beautiful woman, and I'm gonna have me a whole bunch of kids. I'll be a better father than he ever was, and I sure as hell don't need him for that, because there isn't a damn thing he could ever teach me about how to love my kids!"**

The adult men in the room imitated the Tai on screen. They just looked down. No on that young should have to deal with that. Meanwhile, both Goodwitch and Winter had their own tears and were trying to get rid of them with the use of their handkerchiefs. But that was doing very little.

**Tai just looked him in the eyes, so much pain and sadness for his only nephew. Jaune just kept looking into his eyes before he looked down. The anger quickly leaving him with only the pain left. And in that moment, he finally asked out loud the question he asked himself so many times. In a broken tone, he asked, "How come he doesn't want me around? Am I just not good enough?" With that he started to break down. Tai instantly wrapped him in hug as Jaune cried into his uncle's shoulder and held him like a lifeline.**

With that, the screen died down and the only sound was the sniffling of the ones crying. Ruby and Yang both felt a hand on their shoulders. They looked up and saw it was their father kneeling down in front of them. With out another word, he wrapped his daughters in a hug and they quickly returned it. As they started to calm down, he spoke up, "If you two don't mind, would you introduce me to this Jaune when we get back?"

Ruby quickly nodded, "I think he would like that."

"Yeah. That would be nice." Yang added with her own sniffle.

Phoenix soon cleared his throat, "Sorry, I know that was very emotional." He couldn't help but wipe his own tears away. "I'll give you as much time as you need before we continue. Next one shouldn't be as emotional and should have a bit more action."


	3. Another One: Uncrowned Sword King

**Source Material: Chivalry of a Failed Knight- Episode 12**

* * *

Everyone in the theater had regained their composure about twenty minutes ago but Phoenix was still looking through his leather bond book. He already knew which world he'd show them next but he thought they could use a few minutes to just get everything in order. To quote a wise man, 'He may be an asshole but he wasn't one-hundred percent a dick.'

He looked up to seeing everyone conversing, "Are you already for the next world?"

They all turned to him and Ruby spoke up, "Yeah, I think we're good. But can this one, not be so emotional?"

Phoenix pushed his glasses back into place, "Don't worry. It won't be and should have a better ending. Depending on the person." He smirked.

Before anyone could ask, Phoenix began to explain the next world, "This one is slightly different than your own but still has several things in common. Instead of Aura, people of this world have supernatural abilities and are known as Blazers. Their main ability is materializing weapons from their souls called Devices."

"Wait a minute! You're saying their weapons are actually extensions of themselves?!" Ruby asked excitedly as she stood up. Phoenix just nodded with a grin. The reaper threw her hands up with a happy yell, "That is amazing!" As she started to fangirl over that fact, Yang slowly pulled her sister back into her seat and gave their host an apologetic smile. He just shrugged with the same grin.

"Similar to your own world, there are academies that train these people to become Mage Knights and every year they have a tournament to determine the strongest Apprentice Knight. Which brings us to Jaune, in this world he is an F-Rank Blazer, the lowest rank, and is known at his school as "The Worst One" because of his low magical abilities."

That saddened many of those that knew him, "He's bottom of the class in this world too?" Pyrrha asked.

Phoenix made a so-so motion with his hand, "His abilities have manifested in a way that is hard to judge by their worlds methods. He's actually pretty strong in his own right. The only real reason why things had gotten so bad for him was because of his family."

"What do you mean by his family?" Weiss asked, already not liking this.

"The Arcs in this world are renowned for the generations of powerful Blazers they have produced. When they found out how weak he was from a young age, they discriminated him. They treated him like he didn't exist. At a young age, his father even told him, 'You can't do anything, so don't try.'"

"What!?" Yang shouted as she stood tall, her eyes red, "What kind of parent says that to their kid!?"

Their host shrugged, "Yeah, in this world the Arcs are scumbags, except for a handful. Anyway, when Jaune managed to get into their Beacon equivalent, his family used their influence to make him fail and repeat his first year." He smirked, "The next year, the Headmaster was replaced by Glynda Goodwitch and she started to help Jaune overcome his hardships."

Goodwitch looked shocked before she smiled in pride. "She made him an offer: If he can win the Seven Star Battle Festival, she will allow him to graduate." That shocked a good number of them. Their equivalent would be they had to win the Vytal Festival to graduate, which was extreme. "Yeah it sounds bad but it was a necessary evil, trust me. It's also thanks to her that Jaune got his new roommate, considered one of the strongest Blazers of their generation and Princess of Xiao Long Empire, Yang Xiao Long."

That shocked everyone of the younger generation. They would've guessed that Weiss would be a princess. But Yang? That was not what they were expecting. "Me?" Yang said as she pointed to herself.

He nodded with a grin. "So, her and Jaune have been sharing a room by themselves?" Pyrrha asked for obvious reasons for anyone who knew her. Phoenix just nodded. "What is their…relationship?"

Yang turned to Pyrrha in shock. Her and Jaune as a couple? That would never happen. Not that he wasn't a good guy, far from it. He was great in his dorky kind of way. Kinda like how Ruby was. She wasn't shallow or stupid enough that she would just dismiss Jaune like that but he never showed any interest in her, which was a shock sense _most_ people who were attracted to women had some sort of interest in her. But more so was the fact that Pyrrha was crushing hard on him.

Phoenix just gave a smirk to answer. Which gained some great expressions from the two. "That should be enough for now." Phoenix turned to the correct page and another fireball manifested from it. "I'll explain as we go." With that, the fireball slammed into the screen and bringing it to life.

**The screen opened up to the world in black and white. Showing Jaune in a small windowless room as he sat in a corner. His father's words running through his head after meeting him after so long: 'Someone like you who can't do anything shouldn't do anything. That is all I ask of you.' Along with that, the reality that he has to fight the top student of his academy, Pyrrha Nikos, to make it into the Seven Star Battle Festival. To clear his relationship of slander and achieve his dream. Or lose everything. 'What can I do? With my empty, worthless sword…' he thought to himself.**

"Why is he in a cell?" Blake asked in concern.

"Thanks to a distant relative of the Arc family, Jaune and Yang's relationship has been revealed to the public. Everyone is assuming it's just an affair. And with Yang being a princess, its considered a real issue for their own country and the Magic Knight committee as a whole. So Jaune has been going to hearings to defend his and Yang's relationship and that is where he is staying outside of said hearings."

They all saw just how exhausted he looked. He also appeared paler and skinnier than normal, "How long has he been doing this?" Ozpin asked.

"Sixteen or seventeen straight days. Can't exactly remember." Phoenix informed them.

"That long!?" Weiss asked appalled. Yang on the other hand just stared at the screen in shock. This Jaune was trying to clear his name but prove that their relationship was more than the dirt they were spewing about it. The fact that he would go far for them made a faint warmth settle in her chest.

"He's also at his limit mentally and emotionally. Honestly, Jaune is in a very dark place right now." Phoenix told them sadly.

**The world shifted back to color as a coliseum like arena with the roof off was shown. It was filled to the brim with spectators and was being broadcast live across the country by helicopters flying above. It zoomed in towards an emptier set of stands, the only two sitting there were Raven Branwen and Glynda Goodwitch.**

"Why is Raven there?" Tai asked in confusion.

"She's a teacher at this academy." He replied easily enough.

Qrow looked over to the Writer, "She's a teacher?! Man, now I've heard everything."

"A lot of people would say the same about you being a teacher." Tai told his old teammate with a smirk. That got him a hurtful glare from the slowly sobering man.

**Raven looked up towards the helicopters, "Oh my. Exposing him to the entire world. So this is the condition the federation demanded in order for him to fight at school?"**

**Goodwitch was looking up as well, not pleased in the slightest, "Yeah. And they set him up against Miss Nikos. Port got me." She turned her gaze to the arena blow, "Now there's only one way for Mr. Arc to prove that he's right. And that is to win the battle."**

"Port? As in Peter?" Goodwitch asked.

"Yes. He was the distant relative I mentioned."

**Another voice drew their attention, "Oh, I finally found you."**

**Goodwitch turned and replied politely, "Oh, hello."**

**On the other hand, Raven went rigid and wide eyed, "W-what are you doing here?"**

**Ozpin, dressed in Mistralian robes, just chuckled slightly, "It was a surprise, dear." He said simply. **

**He then started to walk behind them and sit directly behind them. "Surprise my ass! What do you want?!" Raven shouted to him. **

**He sighed goodheartedly as he sat in the row behind them, "My favorite pupil has a bad mouth as always. Well, that's part of her charm, though."**

**That made her flustered, "C-charm? Stop grossing me out!"**

"Raven flustered? Never thought I'd see that." Qrow said out loud with Tai nodding alongside him.

**Goodwitch just smirked, "Raven. Why don't you just be honest to yourself and be happy?"**

**Her blush deepened and she started to wave her arms in the air, "Being praised by an old, dry bastard like him isn't going to make me happy!" That just made Ozpin chuckle and Raven to pout more.**

"**Master Ozpin. Welcome." Goodwitch continued respectfully, "Did you come to see Pyrrha Nikos?"**

"**Yes, she is one of my favorite pupils, too." He grinned, "I could've waited until the Seven Star Battle Festival, but her opponent is someone from the Arcs, so I had to see it for myself."**

"I was trained by Professor Ozpin here?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes. And before you ask, he is indeed one of the greatest Magic Knights of that world. So being trained by him is an absolute honor." Most nodded and it really explained why this version of Pyrrha would be so strong.

**Another voice from behind them spoke up, "Master Ozpin lived in the same era as the famous Nicholas Arc. You two are lifelong adversaries." The three turned to see Port sitting a few rows behind them.**

**Goodwitch just gave him her patented glare, "Mr. Port…"**

**Port ignored her and turned to Ozpin, "But you know, Master Ozpin, today's match might be canceled." He then chortled to himself, like it was some joke.**

"What's he talking about?" Ruby asked in concern.

"**What?" Goodwitch asked as she narrowed her eyes.**

**They then heard the announcer, Coco Adel, make a broadcast, "To all the audience. It's already time to start but Jaune Arc hasn't arrived yet. According to the selection match rules, if he does not show up in fifteen minutes, he will lose by default."**

**Goodwitch turned back to Port with narrowed eyes, "Mr. Port, you promised that the federation would bring Mr. Arc by car."**

**Port didn't even bother to look back to her, "There must've been a miscommunication. When I went to pick him up, he had already left by himself." He grinned, "But he's not a child, so he should be fine." He finally turned to look at the Headmistress, "Unless he collapses on the way or something." He chuckled as Goodwitch glare intensified.**

"**Oh." He said in fake surprise as he pulled something from his coat pocket. "His scroll that was confiscated. You can have it back." He tossed it to her which she caught with no difficulty. **

"Okay, I seriously don't like this Port." Nora said with an angry tone. She liked Professor Port and his stories but this one was someone she'd rather just break the legs of.

"Right there with you." Pyrrha said in agreeance with Ren nodded as well.

**The scene shifted to black and white. Jaune was tiredly running, trying to reach the academy before it was too late. As he was running, the world around him changed to a snowy forest in the middle of a blizzard. An older man's voice sounded out from around him, "Are you frustrated, kid? About the fact that you're the weakest one?" **

**The screen moved to see in front of Jaune and a translucent image of the man was now in front of him, wearing a Mistralian style robe with grey blonde hair and beard. His grandfather, Nicolas Arc. "If so, hold onto that feeling. That's proof that you haven't yet given up…on yourself."**

"What is happening?" Weiss asked, confused.

"He's hallucinating. His grandfather was one of the only Arcs that cared for Jaune. He gave Jaune the ability to try to make himself better. And he was one of the greatest Arcs to be born."

**He kept running into this blizzard as a second, healthier version of himself manifested beside him, also running. "How much good have those words of wisdom done for you?" it asked him. "That man was just laying out irresponsible words. And you took them seriously and spent your whole life trying to live up to some impossible ideal." This version of him was starting to outpace him as he continued, "We all have our limits and our place in this world is defined by them. But his words just brought you pain and solitude."**

**He turned around to face himself and manifested a raven black katana, Jaune's device, Intetsu. The sword started to turn to dust as he continued to belittle himself, "As a result, you ended up with this very light sword, the sword nobody wants." Jaune instinctual reached for the disintegrating blade as he kept stumbling forward. "How can someone like you, who's not even wanted, beat that Raikiri?"**

"**Don't you think it's enough? Don't be tied to the nonsense of a ghost." The copy told him as he ran through it. "Give yourself a break."**

"Jaune, don't do it." Pyrrha said as small tears formed in her eyes.

"Pyrrha?" Ruby asked.

She started to rapidly wipe her eyes, "Jaune has always felt inferior to us. Even after all the work he's done and how much he's improved; he still believes he's worthless." She sniffled, "We've tried to make him believe that isn't the case and he's better but he still looks down on himself. Seeing him like that, I don't want to see my partner give up like that." Nora gently hugged the Champion.

That put a few things into perspective for a few of his friends. Mostly, Weiss and Yang, who always insulted and made him the butt of their jokes, respectively.

**The screen went black before a small fire lit up in the center. Jaune came back with the fire now in his chest. He gasped in shock before a light started to shine in front of him. He looked forward as this light cut through the blizzard. He kept pushing forward, reaching for this light. As he tried to grasp it, the color started to come back to him. Traveling down his arm and covering his entire body before he finally collapsed forward.**

**Jaune slowly opened his eyes and saw he was held in someone's arms, stopping him from falling to the ground. He looked up to see just who it was. Looking down at him was Weiss, her eyes filled with tears, "Welcome back, Big Brother." **

"Big Brother?" Weiss asked in shock. She then turned to Phoenix for an explanation with Winter doing the exact same thing from the row behind her.

Phoenix nodded, "Yes, you are an Arc in this world and Jaune's little sister. You are also the only other Arc besides your grandfather that treated him like a person."

"Oh. Well, that's nice to hear." She had a small smile as she thought about that. Winter was a great older sister but she had wondered once or twice what an older brother would be like. And, against what she originally thought, Jaune was a very caring young man. Winter was suspicious of that. Everything she had heard about the Arc was from her sister at the beginning of the year and her comments weren't exactly flattering.

Phoenix waited for Weiss to get a drink from her diet soda before he dropped the next bomb, "You're also in love with him in that world."

Weiss did the most unladylike spit take before she fell into a coughing fit, "What?!" she asked through her coughs as everyone stared at Phoenix or Weiss in shock.

He started to laugh, "Yeah, sorry." He managed to get out before he calmed down, "But I'm serious. Because of your collected family treating him so harshly, you decided you would give him all the love that he was denied. And you eventually fell for him. It's very, _very_…unusual but your heart is in the right place."

With that explanation, her friends turned to Weiss who looked flustered and catatonic all at once. It was unanimously decided to leave her alone until she rebooted.

**She hugged him close, "I don't want you to go." She told him, "I don't want you to fight her."**

"**Weiss…" he said weakly.**

**She then grabbed his hand, holding it between her own she continued, "Still, I just can't stop you. At the Arc household, you never smiled for your own sake but when you were at this school, you were smiling like you were really enjoying life here."**

**Jaune just looked at her in shock as she just smiled at him. "Arc!" He looked over his sister in shock at the group of people welcoming him back. Shouting and cheering for him. Summer waving and telling him they have faith in him. Nora with her arms crossed saying that he has to show what he has since he beat her. Blake waving both her arms telling him he was still the samurai she respected and to not stop yet. Cardin with his fist in the air and shouting to his master that he could do it. And Velvet with her camera and already saying the front page of the school newspaper would be about his victory.**

That brought a smile to everyone there. After seeing all the terrible things that happened to Jaune, seeing this was more rewarding than anything else.

"**Guys…" Jaune said in disbelief as Weiss helped him to stand tall once again. **

"**Big brother, you're not alone." She told him with conviction. "Your sword has encouraged many people here and they all dream through you." **

**His eyes widened as someone broke through to the front. She held a gold medal above her head, "Jaune!" There was Yang, still bruised and dirty from her fight but with a smile on her face, "As we promised, I won the spot for the Seven Star Battle Festival!"**

**Seeing Yang gave him the strength to force himself up that hill. With each stumbling step, the smile on his face grew. Weiss just looked at her brother as he kept walking, a new look of conviction on his face as memories of them together came to his head. 'Right. What was I doing wavering there? I have that promise I made with Yang."**

"**Let's go together!" Yang told her boyfriend with no doubt in her voice. "All the way!"**

Yang felt a more heartfelt smile form on her lips. To see Jaune gaining the strength to keep moving on, just by seeing her, was showing just how much that version cared for her. The faint warmth from earlier just seemed to increase just a bit.

**The scene then transitioned back to the arena. Coco started to announce again, "Everyone in the stands, sorry for the wait. We'll now begin the selection match for the Seven Star Battle Festival." **

**The doors on one side of the arena opened revealing Pyrrha as she walked out, "From the east gate, Pyrrha 'Raikiri' Nikos is entering. She's a shining star who's continued to walk the glorious path and now she's headed to the showdown!" The doors on the opposite side opened to reveal Jaune. "And on the west gate, the Worst One, Jaune Arc. A lone wolf, who was thrown into hell once, is now standing on the battlefield to shine as a star!" The two opponents stepped into the arena, Pyrrha standing in the light as Jaune stayed in the shadowed half of the arena. **

**Back in the stands, Ren was walking down the steps to sit with his friends. Velvet turned to him in excitement, "Ren! How was your match?"**

**He just smiled and raised his own gold medal, "I had good compatibility with my opponent." He then grew serious, "So, how's Jaune doing?"**

Ren grinned, it was good to see they were close in this world. He was his brother, after all.

**Raven just observed her students from her seat, "Arc is exhausted." She shifted her eyes to look behind her and to Port, "I wonder what they did to him…"**

"**Maybe he stayed out late or something." He lied easily.**

"Ozpin, there may be a real chance I throw Port across campus when I see him next." Goodwitch informed her boss.

"Now, now, Glynda. I understand this is not the greatest light he has been shown in but you can't hurt Peter for what this version of him does." Ozpin told his deputy calmly but with a small grin.

**Back to the arena, Pyrrha started to speak, "I'm sorry, Jaune. I know that you're exhausted and wounded but I still can't help but get excited about this battle. Because ever since I saw you for the first time, I've been thinking…" Electricity started to surround and shoot off her. Until with a massive bolt, it condensed into an electric orb in front of her. Her two hands took hold of it and pulled it to her chest. She smashed it between her palms and when she pulled them apart, a katana manifested between them, Narukami. She grabbed it righthanded before sheathing it at her side, "That I want to fight you!"**

"Pyrrha, how could you!?" Nora said in disbelief. Pyrrha looked at her in shock, not sure what was going on. "Lightning is my thing; you can't just steal it!" Pyrrha just held her hands up to defend herself from the annoyed bomber, not exactly knowing what to say to her.

"That is, however, a great display of power." Ironwood stated as he watched on. "It would definitely shake the resolve of some adversaries."

**Jaune meanwhile had his left hand at his side and right hand over it, like he was drawing a sword. Bright light started to shine from his hand as he slowly drew his arm back with Intetsu now manifesting. The light dissipated and he held his sword in front of him, ready to fight. "The same goes here. Now that I'm standing here, I don't intend to show a shameful fight of myself, to you and to everyone who supported me. So, I'll swear now, that with my strongest, I will beat your strongest!" **

**As the two stood ready, Coco continued to hype up the fight, "A girl who stayed at the top and a boy who climbed up from the bottom. Their final battle will now begin!"**

**With that, Jaune shouted at the top of his lungs, "Itto Shura!" Wind and energy erupted from around him and into the air.**

"**Big Brother!" Weiss shouted in shock.**

"**That's too reckless!" Velvet added. **

"Wait a minute, what's going on?" Pyrrha looked to Phoenix.

"Itto Shura is this Jaune's strongest technique. He forcefully turns off all the limiters in his body, allowing him to use all his body's strength and speed unhindered. Although, it is a dangerous move. It places so much strain on his body that he can only use it for a minute and only a single time a day."

"It's that dangerous?" Ruby asked in concern for her first friend.

"And with his body so exhausted, that makes it even more risky." Blake added.

**Yang however just smirked. They turned to her, "Yang?" Ren asked.**

"**Jaune must've decided to do that from the beginning." She explained. "That he won't use any tricks. If he wants to beat her…" **

**Jaune just looked at his opponent as he was filled with energy, 'Then I'll have to take you head on!" he thought to himself.**

"Jaune." Pyrrha whispered to herself.

**Pyrrha just observed him, 'He'll come in straight on.' She closed her eyes, 'If I can avoid him once, then I'll win.'**

**She opened her eyes and more electricity erupted from her, 'But…no way!' She dropped into her sword stance and got ready to draw her sword.**

**Jaune tightened the grip on his own blade, 'I can only make one decent swing. If that's the case, I'll put everything I have into this one swing!' The energy around him stopped and all color faded from the world. He pulled his sword up to head level and started to charge forward.**

'**Close-range is my territory! Where else would I fight if I run away from there?' Pyrrha thought to herself as more electricity poured out of her body. **

**The world moved in slow motion as Jaune charged forward, 'This is me showing my good faith in Pyrrha, who came to fight me.' Color started to bleed from him, leaving him in black and grey but his eyes now a deep red. 'And this is a challenge for myself!' **

**Pyrrha stood resolute as the same happened to her, her color bled away, leaving her with bright yellow eyes, 'And I'll face it straight on! With my unbeaten Raikiri!' Bright yellow lightning started to erupt from her sword hilt.**

"What's happening?" Ren asked in confusion.

Ozpin answered, "It seems like those two are blocking everything else out. They are completely focused on this fight, this opponent. And they will put everything they have into winning."

**A red aura flashed in front of Jaune, 'I don't care anymore if this match was fixed!"**

**Yellow lightning was surging in front of Pyrrha, 'I'm not fighting because I want to protect my number one status in this school!' **

**The screen kept transitioning between the two as they got closer and closer to clashing. Their thoughts becoming one, 'I'm fighting because I want to beat this noble knight with everything I have!'**

'**The Seventh Secret Sword, Raiko!' Jaune shouted mentally as he was surrounded in a blood red aura as he kept running.**

'**Raikiri!' mentally shouted as she started to draw her sword and more lightning was released, cracking the ground underneath her.**

'**I've known from the beginning.' His pupil and iris shrank as more veins became visible in his eyes, 'That she's strong!' Blood started to pour from his eyes, 'That I'm inferior to the others! But if I'm inferior then I need to gather what I can!' More blood poured from his nose and mouth as he grit his teeth. 'If that's not enough then I'll squeeze everything out!'**

"Jaune!" Pyrrha, Ruby and to some surprise Yang, all shouted in shock and worry. Yang even got onto her feet as she stared on.

**Blood exploded from the vessels in his arm as he pulled his sword back for his slash. 'I don't even need a minute!' Blood erupted from his legs as he dug in to put as much force into this one swing. 'I just need one second!' His sword swung forward, 'Sharpen my soul!' He charged forward with everything he had, 'Run through… this extreme moment!' Then the world went white.**

"What happened!?" Yang asked. "Who won?!"

**When the light faded, they saw a close up of a katana. Cracks started to form on it. As more time went by, more formed before it shattered and fell to the ground. **

Everyone was on the edge of their seats, the tension gnawing at them.

**Followed by a head of red hair falling beside them.**

**Jaune stood over her, breathing raggedly. His body was cover in blood along with his blade. Across his chest was a slash that he just received from Pyrrha. He took a deep breath before he raised his hand over his head and clenched his fist. **

"**Game over!" Coco shouted as the arena cheered. "She was shattered! That one exchange of swords, that one clash! In that moment, Pyrrha's Narukami and her Raikiri were shattered to pieces! The winner who stands on the field is the Worst One. No. Another one! Jaune Arc!" **

"He did it!" Nora shouted in joy as she hugged the champion beside her, who was just as relieved. Ren was giving the widest smile most have seen on his face. Ruby threw her arms in the air and cheered. Blake just looked on with a smile and a nod. All the adults ginned as well, happy to see him overcome all the odds. Yang fell back into her seat and sighed in relief. Her hand went to her chest as that strange warmth never left.

**Port stood up in shock, "W-what was that? Did Pyrrha Nikos hold back!?"**

"**No." Ozpin said simply. "Pyrrha used the absolute limit of her power. There's no doubt. But that boy, he expanded his limit at the very last moment."**

"**What?" Port said in shock.**

**Goodwitch continued the train of thought, "With Itto Shura, he wasn't going to beat Raikiri. That's why he used everything he had in one swing, instead of one minute."**

"**He's just like him." Ozpin said simply.**

Ozpin chuckled at his other self, "So, the one shunned by the Arcs is the one most like one of their greatest heroes. How ironic."

"**Impossible." Port stated. "I won't allow it! I won't!" He then quickly ran off.**

"**Glynda, aren't you going to do anything about that one?" Raven asked nonchalantly. "I have a feeling he's up to something bad."**

"**Whatever he does, it's too late." She said with a smile. "Jaune Arc just slashed all the unreasonable things with one sword. No one can ever deny him anymore."**

**Back in the arena, Jaune was still breathing raggedly, 'Not yet.' He thought to himself as he started to fall backward. He managed to spin around and plant his sword into the ground to support him. 'I can't collapse yet.' His whole body was shaking from exertion, 'There's something I need to tell her…'**

That made Yang perk up a bit, curious on what was so important.

"**I won't allow it! I won't!" Port shouted, now standing across from the exhausted Jaune with a massive golden axe. He started to run forward, 'You're a failed knight! You are not worthy of the name Arc-"**

"**Get out of my way!" he was interrupted by Yang screaming and him being batted to the side with her own blade sending him flying out of the arena. She made her sword vanish as she kept running forward, "Jaune!"**

The students, minus Weiss because she was still recovering, Tai and Qrow burst out laughing at that. While the other four adults just smiled or trying hide their giggles.

**He raised his head and smiled at her. She stopped a few feet from him and he forced himself to stand tall, removing his blade from the ground. 'Yang…' he thought. The two just looked at each other for a bit before he started to fall forward and his sword vanishing form his hand. **

**Yang managed to catch him, with his head resting against her chest. She had her eyes closed and a smile on her lips, "I'm so proud of you, Jaune."**

"**Thanks." Was all he managed to say as he stayed where he was.**

"**But challenging her straight on in this condition, how stupid are you?" she chided him lightly.**

**He slowly managed to stand in front of her, "I know. Sorry for making you worry."**

"**But I'm stupid too." She continued. That confused Jaune for a second. She was looking down enough to hide her eyes, "Because I love you so much because of the way you are." She looked up, showing the unshed tears in her eyes before she hugged him tightly. **

**Jaune accepted the hug as he stared up into the sky. 'Oh, this warmth…" The blizzard from earlier reappeared around him. 'This warmth is what saved me.' The dark was replaced with a blue sky and the snow with dancing flower petals.**

Everyone smiled at the heartwarming scene, even Pyrrha's faint jealousy was overshadowed by it. Yang even had a faint blush from the fact that it was _her_ that helped Jaune become who he was.

**He closed his eyes and smiled as he lowered his head. He then opened them, "I have something I want to say to you."**

**She let him go and took a step back, "What?"**

**He took a deep breath to get himself under control. Before he opened his eyes and looked at her with full conviction, "Yang. Will you be my family?"**

"What?!" Pyrrha and Yang shouted in shock. Everyone else was just stunned silent.

"**Huh?" she asked just stunned. Jaune just gave her a smile, showing he was serious. Her eyes widened when what he said sank in. Everyone watch on. From Velvet's excited look and camera at the ready, to Weiss' look of annoyance and Ren's small but no less happy smile. Goodwitch was shocked but managed to keep a neutral-ish façade. Raven was shocked with her mouth just barely opened. And Ozpin just looked down with a big tooth filled smile.**

**Yang took a deep breath as tears formed in her eyes. They started to fall down her face as she looked down. She looked back up with the happiest smile she could "Yes." She said as Jaune's smile couldn't become anymore happier. "Let me be your bride."**

"What?!" Pyrrha shouted.

"Jaune's gonna be my brother!" Ruby shouted in joy.

"Ruby, that isn't me!" Yang shouted in shock of her sister's reaction. But that didn't stop her blush reddening quite a bit more. Tai and Qrow just narrowed their eyes at the screen. Both knew Yang could _easily _take care of herself but still, it was a natural reaction.

**The whole arena erupted into whoops and applause. And Coco announcing, "W-w-what?! In the middle of a live TV broadcast, he proposed to her! And the princess said yes!" Jaune gently placed his hands on her shoulders before pulling her in for a love felt kiss. **

**Weiss was still looking on annoyed until she sighed in disappointment. She then looked up with a tiny smile. Yang may not have been her favorite person but if she made her brother that happy, she could learn to like her.**

**Back in an office, a phone call was going through. The man hit the speaker button as he sat in his chair, perpendicular to his desk to look at the wall. "This is Arc."**

"Why are we seeing him?!" Nora said in annoyance. "We had a great ending so why are we not ending on that?" She looked to Phoenix who just placed a finger on his lips before pointing to the screen.

"**Hello, Mr. Arc. It's been a while." Said a familiar voice.**

"**Emperor of Xiao Long?" Noah Arc asked as he looked over to the phone.**

"Dad?" Ruby and Yang asked in tandem.

"**Look what your son had done." Taiyang continued. "This is big news in my nation too."**

"**I see." His eyes went back to the far wall, "As chief of the International Federation of Magical Knights, I apologize…"**

"**No need." Taiyang told him. "But let me just say let's not get our kids involved in adults' schemes." He finished in a hard tone and Noah closed his eyes. "Any parent would want that for their children. Aren't you the same way, Noah?" Noah just turned his chair away and looked out the window. That's when the screen went dark.**

"Wow. Go Dad!" Ruby said excitedly. She turned around in her seat to look at him. "So your other self was fine with Yang getting married?"

"Seems so." Tai said simply and noticed Yang's blush come back in full. He smirked and stood up. He placed his hand on her shoulder, "Just let me meet this boy before you go marrying him. Okay, honey?" he teased her.

"Dad!" Yang said in embarrassment as she hid her face in her hands. The students laughed at the usually unabashed Yang Xiao Long now embarrassed beyond all belief. Yang just groaned, knowing this wasn't going to go away any time soon. The teasing and the warmth that had not disappeared from her chest.

* * *

**A/N- Honestly, wasn't on planning to do this chapter yet. But I was having a hard time writing TVS so I said, 'Screw it!' I'd like to thank both Jauneforever and Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh for being the Beta Readers, go check them out now, if you will. On a side note, the next chapter will be me doing a reaction to one of my favorite stories of Jauneforever, Deck of Heroes. So, with that said, hope you enjoyed the chapter and maybe you're more excited for the next one. See you in the next update!**


	4. The Cards We Are Dealt

**Source Material: Deck of Heroes by Jauneforever- Chapter 1**

* * *

The viewers were taking another small break as they waited for Phoenix to select the next world they would see. As they were doing that, Ruby was gently poking her partner's cheek as she kept staring off into space. "Weiss?" she poked again. "Weiss!" Another poke "Weiss!" But the Heiress was still unresponsive.

"I'm starting to get worried." Pyrrha said as she stood behind Ruby, looking at her friend. "I was sure that she would come around by now. Guess that revelation really got to her."

"Indeed." Winter said with her arms crossed and observing her sister in concern. "I have never seen my sister like this before. And I have no idea on how to bring her out of it."

"Leave it to me!" shouted Nora from behind them. Winter jumped, not expecting the hyper ginger. While Pyrrha and Ruby turned to her in curiosity. She had her usual gigawatt grin on and she slowly pulled out a big bottle of hot sauce from behind her back. "This'll get her up!"

Before anyone of them could stop her, Nora had already opened the bottle before sticking it into her mouth. They all watched as the red sauce slowly emptied out of the bottle and down her throat. Soon they say Weiss' pupils dilated before they started to tear up. That was when she shot out of her chair and screamed or tried to. It came out more as a raspy whine because of the extreme heat.

Forgetting all poise, she pulled her diet soda free of the cupholder and ripped the lid off it before she started to chug the bottomless drink as quickly as she could to try to extinguish the flame in her mouth and throat. She kept that up for several minutes with most of the group watching her. She then pulled it away from her lips with an explosive sigh. She was steadily panting before she turned a glare to the smiling bomber. In a raspy voice, she started to speak, "Nora, never do that again. Ever."

"Yay!" Ruby cried before she hugged Weiss tightly, "You're back!"

Weiss looked down at Ruby and let her hug her for a few more seconds before she gently started to push her off, "That's enough, Ruby."

Once Ruby let her go, Winter walked over to her sister, "Good to see you are back to your senses, sister. Please, don't worry us like that again." Weiss just looked at her sister and gave her a small smile and nod. Before everyone took their seats.

Ozpin took a sip from his coffee before he spoke up, "Mr. Phoenix, is it possible for us to see the next world?"

Phoenix was taking his own calming sip of his coffee. Preparing himself for what was about to happen. "Yes, we can. But not one of these." He said as he picked up his red book and set it down on a small table to his right with his coffee. He raised his right hand and an orange flame erupted into his hand before it disappeared, leaving a smaller black book in his hand. "But we will be looking at this."

"Instead of a world that I have found, I will be showing you a world that was recorded by another Writer and who I consider to be a good friend. We call him JF." Phoenix explained.

"Another Writer?" Ironwood asked. "How many of you are there?"

He chuckled, "Many, General. Many. The Multiverse is almost infinite, it take many of us to document it."

"So, why are we seeing this one in particular?" Weiss asked.

"Because…" Phoenix sighed. "Because you need to see it. I'm warning you now, you are not going to like what you see but you need to for reasons you'll soon understand." Before anyone could ask, the entire book was surrounded in fire before it flew into the screen and it soon came to life once again.

**Jaune slammed his fist against a tree deep in the Emerald Forest; the bark breaking around his fist. Anger had long since overridden the despair and sorrow that he had felt since he had been called into Ozpin's office. It would have hurt less if he hadn't seen it coming. Ever since they had met Alister Kurokoko month ago his friends had slowly been shoving him aside.**

That caused the students, Goodwitch and Ozpin to look on in shock. Even if some members of JNPR and RWBY weren't as close as others, the two teams were near inseparable. So hearing this was a real shock.

**'I thought that they actually cared.' Jaune snorted at that. Things had been tense after he revealed his transcripts; only the fact Blake's past deeds was worse kept Weiss, Yang, or Blake herself from turning him in. Yet as the months passed and he made a decent showing in the first two rounds of the Festival he thought they had forgiven him or at least accepted him; he wouldn't say he was close with the three of them but they no longer excluded him on principle. Yet than Alister showed up.**

**Alister was from Haven, apparently the numbers ended up with him being the odd one out. The Headmaster of Haven therefore arranged for him to transfer to Beacon to gain some new experiences to make up for his lack of teammates. Jaune himself had welcomed the boy with open arms and so did the rest of the gang; Alister had taken to the group like a fish into water. The black-haired boy got along with everyone; everyone but the knight. Jaune didn't see it at first but two weeks into Alistair's stay and it became clear that the transfer student aimed to replace Jaune and he was successful.**

That shocked the students further. There was no way their other selves had replaced Jaune, right?

**Slowly but surely Jaune found himself shoved aside for Alister. WBY was easily foreseeable; Jaune had only made bad impressions on them and they never forgot the idiotic pick-up lines, the air-sickness, or his initial weakness. Alistair in comparison was a strong guy who was willing to pun with Yang, discuss business-related stuff that went over most people's head with Weiss, or talk about various ways to advocate for Faunus Rights with Blake. Jaune could understand those three, he could deal with it. It hurt but compared to the other four it was a minor sting.**

Yang, Blake and Weiss looked away, that hurt to say the least.

"I mean, I could get Weiss..." Nora muttered.

"What?" Weiss asked as she turned back to Nora.

She just looked back with a shrug, "You were very brutal with Jaune in the beginning of the year. Not judging you for getting annoyed but sometimes you seemed like you genuinely hated him." That made Weiss look away in guilt.

"Plus, the three of you do have a great deal of pride." Pyrrha added.

"What's wrong with that?" Yang asked slightly annoyed. "We worked hard to get where we are, we should be proud with how far we've come."

"There's a difference between pride and arrogance, Yang." Tai spoke up. "Usually the latter leads you to getting killed. And you sometimes tip-toe that line."

"It also makes you think its wise to take on master criminals and terrorist groups singlehandedly." Qrow added on unamused. "And before you start, bookworm, you were lucky to make it out unscathed as you did. Don't think otherwise."

That tongue lashing made the three feel lower than before and very guilty.

**Nora, practically a ninth sister after his blood-kin and Terra, moved Alister up to the title of second favorite guy after it was revealed he could make amazing pancakes and high-level explosives. His willingness to go along with her antics was just a cherry on top. The Valkyrie could then be found talking Alistair's ear of whenever Ren was busy, an honor that Jaune had once held with pride.**

Nora just stared wide eyed at the screen, "But… he's our Fearless Leader…" she said quietly.

**Ren had been the member of the JNPR that took his transcripts the worst but Jaune had felt that a fight between them, aka Ren beating the crap out of him once, had solved their issues and that they had truly become brothers since then. Apparently that was one-sided as Ren took to spending as much time as he could with Alistair to discuss aura manipulation and various herbal remedies. The two could be found meditating, something that Jaune tried and failed to truly get into. Then finally he lost Ruby and Pyrrha, the two he was closest to gone.**

Ren looked down at the ground. JNPR had become his family and Jaune was definitely his brother. He never would abandon him but that wasn't necessarily true, he guessed.

**Ruby; the girl that was his first friend at Beacon. The girl that had stood by him at all times and helped him through so many rough patches and who he had helped nearly as many times, his fellow leader who had promised to stand by his side as they made their teams two of the greatest in Beacon's history. She stuck by him at first, spending more time with him than Alistair yet slowly that changed. More and more often she would be discussing weapons with Alistair, going over complex forging methods or possible upgrades for everyone else's weapons alongside their own. Jaune noted his was never brought up despite the numerous times Ruby had at one point begged to do something with Crocea Mors. And when Alistair made her apparently divine cookies Ruby was lost to him, despite her assurances they were still friends, that he was still her greatest 'guy-friend' Jaune knew they were empty words.**

Ruby sniffled as her eyes started to tear up, "What is wrong with me? Why? Just why?" she asked through her sobs. Yang and Weiss swapped seats so that the elder sister could comfort her younger.

**Pyrrha, his partner, his teacher, the first person to ever believe he had potential. She was the one to awaken his aura, to train him, to give him some actual confidence. Ever since the dance, ever since he got over his childish infatuation with Weiss, he had begun to fall for his partner. He had even been deluded enough to believe Pyrrha had felt something more for him than mere comradery and familial bonds. Now such a thought made him scoff; Pyrrha had clearly just been keeping up appearances or some such thing. With every one of their friends that began to favor Alistair Pyrrha had begun to spend more time with the transfer student and less time with her partner.**

**On top of that Alistair began to flirt with Pyrrha, began to court the champion with what was eerily a more streamlined and polished version of the way Jaune attempted to win Weiss's affections. Jaune watched as Alistair constantly made Pyrrha's cheeks red, as he won the champion's heart over. When the two became a couple Jaune accepted it, realizing he lost his chance. It hurt, it hurt more than any other failure in his life ever had. True his partner had promised she'd still spend time with him but it knew that was a lie even before the first time she cancelled a training session.**

Pyrrha just stared at the screen as her hands covered her mouth, "You idiot!" she yelled at the screen, shocking everyone around her. "How could you do that to him? How could you abandon him after everything you two went through?! You were supposed to love him and he had those same feelings for you! I would never do that to Jaune!"

"Apparently not." Qrow brought up and no one told him otherwise since he was right.

**Everything led up to this morning when he found himself in Ozpin's office and listening to his team make an argument to replace him with Alistair. To his horror Ozpin's initial denial provided the knowledge that this wasn't the first time such a notion had been brought up, that this was the third time they had argued for Alistair to take his place.**

**"**_**Jaune simply has no aptitude for this lifestyle and will never make it as a Huntsman." **_**Gone was the belief Pyrrha had once had in him; or perhaps it had never existed.**

**It touched Jaune that Ozpin stood up for him, that he defended the boy that had faked his way into the man's academy. He was just as shocked at Goodwitch's defense of him, the woman had made no secret of her dislike for him and he was surprised she wasn't on NPR's side. The fact the combat instructor said he had a great deal of potential filled him with warmth.**

With hearing that, Nora actually started to cry, something that no one had seen besides Ren. He quickly gave her a side hug but it did very little to help her. Team JNPR was a family and their other selves just destroyed it.

**In the end Jaune decided to save everyone the trouble and relinquished his position on JNPR once its former members said they'd transfer to Haven to form a team with Alistair with team RWBY most likely following them. Ozpin had actually looked nervous at that and Jaune knew why. JNPR and RWBY were the first two first-year teams to make it to the finals of the Vytal Festival since team STRQ. On top of that each team contained members whose backgrounds and popularity could cause problems for Beacon if they all left.**

**Pyrrha Nikos, enough said.**

**Ren and Nora had become a rags to riches success story thanks to some vultures in the media digging up their pasts after their success in the Festival and discovering what happened to their hometown. Apparently they had provided a major inspiration to those that lacked the means to easily gain the training and equipment to enter a combat school.**

**Weiss Schnee, also one who needed no further explanation.**

**Blake Belladonna, while he wasn't the smartest or the most knowledgeable Jaune had actually recognized her last name as the leader of Menagerie thanks to knowing a former Fang member from his hometown that left once Ghira stepped down. Admittedly he didn't realize she was his daughter at first but it wasn't like he knew what the man looked like or if he even had a family. If she left it would be a powerful statement about Beacon's relationship with Faunus even if Blake didn't advertise her species.**

"Would us leaving really have that much of on impact on Beacon?" Ren turned to the two professors.

Ozpin thought it over, "In a since. Miss Nikos and Miss Schnee do have reputations and so does Miss Belladonna in some circles. And I can also see how people will feel that way about yourself and Miss Valkyrie. Huntsmen and Huntresses not only defend the people but also give them hope, the best way of fighting the negative emotions that call the Grimm. So, in some ways. Beacon would get some backlash if you all just suddenly transferred. Especially, if you all went to the public in that universe."

**No, better he bow out than cost Ozpin seven amazingly talented students and give him a whole lot of PR problems. After relinquishing his position he gave Ozpin and Goodwitch his thanks and walked into Ozpin's elevator. Once the doors closed he collapsed down and cried at the turn of events; he had pulled himself together by the time he reached the ground and rushed over to the room that once belonged to JNPR and packed a rucksack of essentials. He jotted down a quick note to his family explaining what happened that he stuck in a mailbox on his way to his locker to get his armor and weapon.**

Seeing Jaune break down was hard for a lot of them to see. Ozpin and Goodwitch felt saddened for their student. Despite Goodwitch's abrasive personality, she didn't want to see Jaune hurt. That was the main reason she didn't want him at the school at the beginning of the year. She didn't want to see the young man get hurt or worse getting in over his head. But she was impressed to see how much he had improved in such a short time and was starting to see what Ozpin had in him. Seeing the boy so low was heartbreaking to see.

**Oum, just as he was finally repairing things with his family. It wasn't that they were bad people, he knew they had always loved him and he them, but most of them didn't have the most flexible mindset. His sister Saphron was a perfect example, when she came out as being homosexual their parents didn't take too kindly to it as they held the typical view that most people not living in the main areas of the kingdom take.**

_**If it doesn't produce children a relationship is wrong**_**. The concept was based on the high mortality rate that could befall these areas and it had been around for generations and with each generation its meaning had become more focused. Where once it meant that all relationships that didn't produce children improvements in science had led to the view now focusing solely on homosexual relationships. Such an idea held no water in the more populated areas but in areas with low to medium populations it was sadly common. In the end Saphron had eloped with her girlfriend Terra Cotta and moved to Argus leading to everyone else going there to work things out. It had taken time and effort but his parents had come around and welcomed Terra into the family.**

"Damn, are all the alternate Arcs assholes or are we just getting the short stick?" Qrow asked.

**This also applied to their belief he couldn't become a Huntsman and the steps they had taken to ensure he never did. They purged their house of all but the most generalized information of the trade and any mention of aura, they threatened the local library to keep similar materials away from him, the local blacksmith was told to never produce armor or weapons for him, anyone that could teach him anything of fighting was kept an arm's length away from him. The only reason they went along with his fake transcripts idea was because they expected him to be turned away or fail miserably.**

**Yet after the Vytal festival they called him up; true they attributed most of his team's success to the other three, which he agreed with, but they told him how proud they were of him. His father had promised to teach him a few tricks when he came back for a break, even if he said that it was so he would be of more use to his team. Now any progress made on enhancing their opinion of him would take a good hundred steps back.**

"Poor, Kid. What else can go wrong for him?" Tai asked rhetorically.

**As he was putting on his armor and strapping on his sword Ozpin had sent him a message saying that he was more than welcome to stay but understood why he wouldn't want to do that; therefore he would check with the other Headmasters to see if there was an open slot for him and would message him once he had something. Once more the Headmaster's belief in him touched Jaune and this time he let out a few tears at this. A second message from Goodwitch both praised him for his rapid improvement and admonished him for even coming to Beacon so unprepared before giving him the backhanded praise of 'succeeding where most everyone would fail' made it rather hard to dry his eyes. While it was kind of his teachers to look for another team for him to join Jaune doubted it would work out; once word got out his team and their sister team had blacklisted him no-one would touch him. His dream was unobtainable now, this had been a desperate last hope at reaching it and it was all for naught.**

"Why are we watching this?" Weiss asked with venom in her tone. She was staring at the Writer as he just raised an eyebrow at her. "What benefit does this have for us beside painting us as monsters?"

Phoenix just held her gaze for a solid minute. He then slowly sat forward with his arms resting on his legs and his hands linked together. "Do you think this is the only universe where you betray and abandon him?"

That made the seven freeze with Ruby and Nora still shedding tears. "W-what?" Pyrrha asked in shock.

His eyes moved to the Champion, "There are many worlds where some, if not all, of you abandon him. The truth is, these universes are the ones that wound Jaune the worst. Because above his dream, the thing he cares about most is all of you. And losing that puts him on a narrow path. Sometimes he overcomes it to become someone vastly more skilled and powerful than you. And other's he falls into the darkness and either becomes the villain or a murderer that wants you dead."

That made a chill go up their spines and now Pyrrha was starting to tear up again. "I'm showing you this because I want you all to know one of the many things that could've happened and just how fortunate you are to have someone that cares for you all so much."

With that said, Phoenix sat back into his seat and raised his coffee again. "I know its hard. But sometimes, one needs to see the dark to fully appreciate the light." He then took a sip as the universe continued.

**And that realization led him to the heart of the Emerald Forest. If his dream was dead, if he was going to leave in disgrace than he was going to prove even if just to himself that he had reached a level where he belonged at Beacon. It wasn't perfect but his self-made test was the best he could come up with on short-notice. He was going to redo the Initiation in a sense, there would be no relic this time merely getting to the ruins were the chess pieces once sat and making it back to Beacon in one piece. Was it a bit in his favor after going through it once, yes it was but this time it was just him rather than a group of seven and one anchor. Going to the cliff and dropping his rucksack there he hopped on a launch pad and was flung into the Emerald Forest.**

**Landing was interesting this time, taking a straightforward approach Jaune just put his shield in front of him and rammed through everything, letting the shield and his aura take the damage. Once he hit the ground the Grimm were upon him, his emotions drawing them in despite his efforts to control them.**

"He copied my landing strategy." Pyrrha said out loud, feeling a sense of pride and shame overtake her.

**For once Jaune was grateful for the Grimm, cutting them down was therapeutic. All the anger and hate that had boiled below his other emotions, that had built up for months as he was systematically purged from his friends' lives, he could finally just let it go and release it at something. Grimm after Grimm came at him, mostly Ursa, Beowolfs, and Boarbatusk, and they all died. Yes, Jaune didn't come out unscathed but he took only minor injuries that healed soon after. Once he buried his sword in the skull of the last soulless monster his fist slammed into a tree.**

"This isn't going to work out well for him." Winter said as she watched the young Arc fight. "Not only are his negative emotions drawing more Grimm to him, those same emotions are going to make him sloppier. This could backfire on him, severely." That made the seven students worry more for him.

**Taking deep breaths, relying on the few meditation techniques that he had picked up from his brief foray into mediation with Ren he managed to calm himself down. Yes he had taken care of those Grimm just fine but they were grunts; no need to call some Alphas down upon him. Finding the old ruins was easier than he thought it would be after he stumbled upon the trail of broken trees that the Deathstalker from Initiation had left. Following the trail of destruction brought him to the ruins; more Grimm fell to his blade on the way. Jaune smiled to himself as he managed to continue to kill them without taking major injury but when he saw the ruins he frowned. In his mind it was too easy; the path created by the Deathstalker had made this test worthless.**

**The ruins that held the chess pieces still stood, Jaune had honestly thought the Deathstalker had destroyed them as it chased them. Jaune decided to take a closer look, bittersweet though it may be this was still a place that he treasured.**

**"Huh? What are these?" Eight cards lay on the one of the pillars of the ruins; each one depicting a different figure. There was a sword-wielding knight, a spearman, an archer, a chariot-driver, what appeared to be an assassin holding two knives, a mage, a humanoid beast, and the last bore the image of a decrepit figure chained in a manner similar to the design of a straight-jacket. "Was Ozpin holding another test out here soon?" Jaune thought aloud before shrugging and pocketing the cards, he'd give them to Ozpin and ask him.**

"I've never seen those cards before." The Headmaster answered before any questions were asked. "Actually, I've never seen any cards like those before.

**It was the sound that alerted him, that made him leap to the side as a drill rammed into the stone pillar behind him and turned it into rubble. If he hadn't have moved he would have been pinned, trapped as that weapon ate away at his armor and aura if it didn't break through them instantly. Jaune faced his attacker and fought the urge to rub his eyes.**

**Standing before him was a humanoid figure that at first thought would make you believe it was a Grimm if not for the lack of bone armor or glowing red marks and eyes. No this was like liquid darkness had been poured into a mold shaped like a well-built man. What he had thought was a drill was in fact a sword, clearly one built to work like a drill but the way the figure held it showed it was without a doubt a sword.**

"What in the hell is that!?" Yang shouted, thoroughly shocked by what she was seeing. She looked to the adults for an answer but was met with just as confused looks from them. Those did not make her feel better and her worry for Jaune just multiplied.

**Jaune's quick deployment of his shield was what saved his life because the figure swung at him, its odd weapon spinning once more. Crocea Mor's shield, something that had never needed anything more than minor repairs at best in all the time he had used it, shattered on impact.**

**"GAAAAHHH!" Jaune screamed as he was launched back, his arm broken from the force of the blow and a few chunks of his shield stuck in his arm. By the time he hit the ground his aura had closed his wounds and forced the chunks of metal out as well as making sure his arm was more fractured than broken. The knight didn't stay on the ground for long as his attacker was on him again, swinging its blade up and catching him with the tip. Jaune's armor gained a nasty gash and his chest was cut into as he was sent flying once more, when he hit the ground he hacked up blood with his cry of pain. Crocea Mor's blade lay embedded in the ground out of his reach.**

"Jaune!" all seven students shouted at once.

"This is bad. He's unarmed and even if he gets back his sword, those injuries are going to hinder him too much." Pyrrha said in fear and worry.

"How did he get so hurt by a single attack?!" Yang asked in worry with her chest aching slightly. "Even at fully power, me and Nora couldn't do that!"

"That thing's power must be on an even higher level." Ren said as he stared at the screen in dread before he swallowed nervously. "Jaune has more aura than any of us and it bypassed it like if was paper."

**'So this is how it ends.' Jaune's head lolled to the side and took in his approaching killer as the creature flipped its weapon into a backwards grip. 'No-one is even going to know how I died, people will probably think I jumped and scavengers got the body.' His hands clenched into fists as he tried to rise, if he died here, if people thought he killed himself then that would just prove to them that Pyrrha was right, that he couldn't handle the life of a huntsman. The creature stood above him; the drill spinning so fast that you could see the air moving around it. It raised the weapon up, both hands on the handle to plunge the weapon down.**

Pyrrha flinched at hearing his thoughts. She was glad he wasn't going to give up but just so he could prove her other self wrong, hurt her deeply.

**"No way, I refuse to die like this." Forcing his aura to spread throughout his body, he forced his body to rise and slammed his shoulder into the being. The humanoid didn't even budge; one hand moved down to grip his arm and throw him to the side. Jaune skidded on his back for a few yards before shakily climbing back to his feet. "I'm not going to die, not until…" Jaune's eyes gained a dark glare and a light emanated from his pocket. "… not until I prove everyone wrong!" His parents, his sisters, NPR and RWBY, all of them. He wanted … no needed to prove them wrong.**

**'**_**Oh yeah! Now that's what I like to hear; tell them all where to stick it! Show them all just how great you are!" **_**Jaune froze at the sound of that voice and then lunged to the side to avoid another blow. It was then he noticed the light coming from his pocket and pulled out the glowing card that depicted the knight. "**_**Alright boy; let's call this a trial run. Show me what you can do with my power! Say the words and let's crush this guy!' **_**Jaune looked at the card in shock before wincing in pain as two words were screamed in his mind.**

"The card is talking to him? How is that even possible?" Weiss just asked in confusion.

Phoenix gave a small smirk and answered, "Magic." That earned him a series of shocked looks from all the adults, not counting Winter.

**"What the hell, let's try it. Install Saber!" Red Light emanated from the card; a gasp escaped Jaune as he felt a foreign energy flood his body. Visions flooded into his mind of a young girl desperately seeking her father's love; soaking herself in blood to prove her strength in her quest for approval. He saw her father deny her, saw her lead a bloody revolution, saw her father run her through with a lance. The creature charged him with that sword, a howl escaping it. Jaune reached out on instinct, his hands closing around a hilt materializing in the air. A name formed on the tip of his tongue.**

"What did we just see?" Blake was the one that asked that.

"The memories of the woman in the card." He said simply, confusing everyone even further. "A lot of questions are going to be answered for you, so just watch on, please."

**"Mordred, LETS GO!"**

**From his seat Kischur Zeltretch Schweinrog watched as his chosen entertainment called upon the power of a class card. The centuries old vampire smirked at the sight, truly the boy was going to be interesting.**

**Class Cards, such a wonderful yet terrifying invention. To allow one to claim the power of a heroic spirit was something to behold; it was why he confiscated as many as he could in every dimension that they popped up. One mishap could have a corrupted version of the spirt running amok just like the one that attacked the young Arc or they could possess a being and make them rampage. Sadly during his last raid, for lack of a better word, he had made to take them himself. That version of the Ainsworth family fought back and during the struggle the box holding the cards broke right as he made to leave the dimension.**

**Now those cards were scattered across this dimension, one of the Remnant timelines where two beings of divine power formed before the other gods could and stopped all the others from forming. On top of that True Magic ran wild for a time in this world before becoming scarce when the Brothers had their tantrum. Now only scattered pieces remained and any magic wielder was little more than a novice level magus, the majority only capable of bending the elements to their will.**

Ozpin felt insulted. Sure, he was weaker after giving his power to create the Four Maidens but he was still very powerful. Either this 'Zeltretch' was underestimating him or he held powers vaster than he could imagine. A part of him was hoping for the former of those two options.

**Worlds such as these were abandoned by the "World"; no Counter-Guardian would ever set foot on it to help them, the inhabitants were left to whatever calamity befell them. That was why he chose to help this world once the cards fell into them.**

**Zeltretch may have cast aside his humanity long ago but he still had his moral as loose as they could be. He caused the problem so he would help fix it, even if he did so in such a way he would be sure to be entertained.**

**The obvious way to fight Class Cards was to use Class Cards, well that or a Kaleidostick but Jaune Arc, despite probably being willing to go along with transforming into a magical girl, had enough self-esteem problems without a magical wand insulting him.**

"I'm still kinda confused." Nora stated now that her tears had stopped along with Ruby.

Phoenix sighed to himself, he really never looked into that particular multiverse and couldn't explain it. "Just… roll with it. You'll get the gist of it easy enough."

**Oh yes Zeltretch had already chosen Jaune Arc as the one to recover the cards after watching how impressive so many of his other selves were. Be they villain, psychopath, hero, ruler, or revolutionary Jaune Arcs had a tendency to leave a mark upon their world.**

**True the journey would be difficult and every third timeline saw Jaune dying during it but it was better than if he didn't intervene. If he didn't given the boy the Cards he would have died at this moment and even without cards if he did nothing Jaune Arc would not see the vast improvements he had made thanks to his extreme self-deprecation and low opinion of himself. At some point down the line he would kill himself; the time and method changed: hanging himself in a motel before returning home, walking off into Grimm-infested territory after returning home and fighting till he dies, or even just killing himself right there at the ruins but in the end it was inevitable that Jaune would die by his own hand.**

That made a cold chill go up all the students spines. Hearing that Jaune had the possibility to kill himself, and he had done so in some timelines, made them feel horrible. Especially because it would've been because of them.

**'Yes, Jaune Arc is much better off as my helper/entertainment.' So Zeltretch had made his own set of class cards, ones that provided Jaune Arc a variety of skills that his tactical mind could make use of. These Cards were special however, normally when a Class Card was created the Heroic Sprit inside was stripped of their reason and ego in order to prevent them from possessing the user but this was also what made them so dangerous as if the Spirit manifested through possession or the construction of a body they would always rampage.**

**In Zeltretch's opinion this also decreased the amount of power one could get from a Card so he skipped that part and instead simply made sure the spirits used were ones that Jaune Arc could connect with or wouldn't cause him to many problems.**

"Besides form the power increase, that gave him a replacement family." Phoenix said and they all turned to him. "In most worlds, RWBY and NPR become a secondary family to him. These cards fill the voids your others left in his life."

**Mordred the Knight of Betrayal; the saber class servant. The child of King Arthur that craved her father's love and acceptance yet was denied it. Filled with self-hatred and loathing that she soon turned on the king; in her rage the Knight led a rebellion against her father and was struck down by the king but not before dealing a lethal blow herself.**

"And I thought my Father was bad." Weiss spoke up with Winter nodded with her sister's sentiment.

**Diarmuid Ua Duibhne; the lancer class servant. The twin spearman that was cursed with a magical love spot that made any woman that gazed upon it fall for him instantly. This led to a series of events that started with his king's fiancée falling for him and using a spell to make him run away with her to his tale ending with his king letting him die in a fit of hatred and betrayal. Despite all the suffering their actions caused him till the end the knight refused to feel any hatred for them.**

"I don't even want to think of that." Yang stated. Sure she got more looks than what could possibly be normal but that level was ridiculous and a bit scaring to even think about.

**Atalanta; the archer class servant. Abandoned by her father for being born a girl rather than a male heir to his throne, rescued by the Moon Goddess, making a name as one of the greatest hunters in all the lands, forced to marry by her father, tricked into marriage by a suitor and a cruel goddess of love despite her vow of Chasity to the Moon Goddess that saved her. Her distrust of men might be a problem at first but Zeltretch knew she would work with Jaune soon enough.**

That made Blake think of the responsibilities she forced onto her own shoulders in the White Fang because her father started it. And then her disaster of a relationship with Adam. That made her shiver, thinking how bad things could've gone and glad she left when she did.

**Medusa; the rider class servant. Cursed by a goddess that was jealous of her and her sisters' beauty Medusa and her sisters sought isolation. Yet despite that the gods sent 'heroes' to slay them and so Medusa killed those that came for her life, using her now-cursed eyes to turn them to stone. Eventually she was consumed by hatred and became a true monster that even killed her sisters. She was eventually killed by a hero. As a servant she was in the state she was right before madness consumed her. She would cause Jaune no problems however, Medusa was a Spirit that showed loyalty to her Master whenever summoned.**

"That's so sad." Ruby spoke up, voice heavy with emotions. She couldn't imagine being hunted down because of reasons she had no control over. On top of that, she didn't want to imagine a world without her sister, let alone being the one to kill her. She hugged her sister a bit tighter with that.

**Kiritsugu Emiya; the assassin class servant. A man that wanted to save the world no matter the cost he steeled his heart and killed anyone that threatened the world no matter the cost. In his eyes ten innocent casualties were a worthwhile cost if a hundred more were saved. In the end his ideals betrayed him and he died cold alongside having accomplished nothing. His existence was an odd one; he was a Counter Guardian and yet his name had been etched into the Throne of Heroes after events that occurred in one dimension. His ideals would clash with Jaune but he would work alongside the boy if it saved lives.**

Ren was always considered stone faced and could come off as cold. But, this was a whole level he never could've believe existed. His eyes turned to look at Nora who still stared at the screen. 'If I didn't have Nora, would I have become something like him?' he asked himself. And he was glad he'd never have to find out.

**Medea the Witch of Betrayal; the caster-class servant. Born a princess she was made to blindly love a traveling hero named Jason by the same goddess that later tricked Atalanta who at the time was a crew-member of Jason. Under the goddesses spell she not only helped Jason steal one of her countries greatest treasures but also killed her brother. Her magic was then used to secure Jason's spot on the throne but his crew betrayed both him and Medea unknowing of her lack of choice. Jason eventually wed another woman and in a fit of rage at his betrayal despite all she had done for him she appeared at his wedding and killed everyone but him before disappearing. Jaune's likeness to Jason would cause problems but as long as he was sincere with her he shouldn't have many problems with her. Maybe, honestly Zeltretch was hoping he did so that there would be some more entertainment.**

Pyrrha thought of the all the times people would try to use her for her fame and felt a sort of kinship with the witch. She also didn't want to think of Jaune ever betraying her like that. But, if he did, she guessed it be some sort of cosmic payback. She looked down and clasped her hands tightly together.

**Frankenstein; the berserker class servant. Created by a scientist that aimed to create life, tossed aside when she failed to meet his expectations, denied a mate by him, she chased her creator down after he fled when she killed those close to him before he died to deny his creation her wish. Frankenstein ended her life by burning herself on the pyre. Zeltretch smirked at the thought of this servant, if Jaune didn't watch himself he might find himself as Frankenstein's bridegroom.**

"Is it wrong that I think that description could be for me too?" Nora asked. A few people looked at her before agreeing that, no. It wasn't.

**And finally Edmond Dantes; the avenger class servant. Betrayed and unjustly imprisoned for fourteen years this man broke out and brought vengeance upon his betrayers, catching countless innocents in the crossfire. Zeltretch looked forward to seeing how the Avenger interacted with Jaune. Would he inflict his hatred of reality upon Jaune or would he be content to just support the boy?**

"In my personal opinion, the first seven I could easily say replace you seven but that last one, I consider a replacement for Jaune himself." They all looked at him, "That card is a reflection of what Jaune could've possibly become. And, honestly, he still could depending on this world goes."

**Yes those eight servants would do just nicely for Jaune. He already had Mordred's interest if she was letting him use her power.**

**The creature that attacked Jaune swung once more but this time its blade was stopped by another. Jaune was now clad in the thick silver armor decorated with red highlights that had clad Mordred in his visions. His face was obscured by a thick helm with two gigantic horns sticking out of it; in his hands was Mordred's large two-handed silver blade that radiated power.**

"Huh. Now he really is a knight in shining armor." Yang joked lightly but it didn't make any of them, feel any better. This particular universe was turning out to be more emotionally exhausting than even the first.

**"Now then…" Jaune's voice was now overlapped with the one from the card "… payback time!" Right as he made this proclamation Jaune released one hand from his sword and used it to punch his attacker. The creature was sent flying from the blow and Jaune on it; tearing into it with his sword and making it screech in agony. Jaune snatched it by its head and slammed his armored knee into his opponent's gut.**

**"Not so fun when it's you, is it bastard?!" Jaune punctuated each word with another knee to the gut before throwing the creature away almost contemptuously. Red lightning began to dance across his blade as he pointed it towards his foe.**

**"CRIMSON LIGHTNING!" the lightning struck his opponent, sending it to the ground screeching. Once the lightning ended Jaune walked up and flipped his sword into a one-handed reverse grip. "Shut up." Driving the blade down into its chest the creature's screams ceased. Jaune then watched in interest as rather than dissolve like a Grimm its body was absorbed into a card just like the one he used; it even had a knight on it. His armor disappeared right after his foe did.**

Everyone just stared in shock before Goodwitch spoke up, "Mr. Arc became that powerful with just one card? How powerful would he become if he gained control of the others?"

"Very." Phoenix answered. "But at this point, if he wanted to, he could easily beat RWBY and NPR with their new leader with little issue. Asked JF himself."

**"**_**Heh, not bad. Then again with my power there was no way you could fail. All right its settled; I, Mordred; Knight of Betrayal, accept you as my Master. Let's show this whole world our greatness!" **_

**"Huh!?" Jaune looked at the card in his hand to see that one side had been replaced to show a picture of the armor he had just worn only the helmet was missing. This revealed that the one wearing it was a young woman with blond hair and green eyes.**

**"Perhaps I can explain everything young man." Jaune turned to find an old man in a black suit with silver trimmings. In one hand he grasped a cane and in the other he held out both Jaune's rucksack and his sword. Jaune's eyes widened as he saw the sheath/shield was fully repaired. "I think you'll like what I have to offer."**

"How did he fix his sword?" Ruby asked.

"Ruby, this person travels the Multiverse. I think fixing a sword would be easy for him." Weiss told her with no bite to her voice.

**Jaune's head spun as he tried to take in everything the old man named Zeltretch had said.**

**"Right so just so I'm clear you are a mage, which are people that use magic that science can replicate, that possesses a form of True Magic that allows you to travel between dimensions along with seeing into future timelines and you lost a bunch of these Class Cards that are now scattered across Remnant. And your brilliant idea to recover them is to give me some Cards and have me trek all across the world for them."**

"It does sound ridiculous when he says it like that." Pyrrha said weakly.

**"That is the gist of it young man, glad to see you understand. Of course from what I can tell Atlas has only three luckily; nothing good comes from them poking around with things they don't understand like the Cards."**

Ozpin turned to Ironwood with a raised eyebrow. Ironwood looked at him and half shrugged, "I can see some benefits and also dangers. I'm not entirely sure I would want any of our own prodding into them."

**"And you can't get them yourself why?" Jaune watched as the man shrugged dismissively.**

**"Don't feel like it."**

**"WHAT?!"**

That made a few of the adults chuckle with the students giving their own, even if half-heartedly.

**"**_**Don't bother Master, mages at his and that flower freak's level are all flighty bastards that take delight in watching others struggle." **_**Jaune felt his eye twitch at Mordred's words. This day had gone from bad to worse and then to ridiculous.**

**"Right, so young man I figured I'd drop you off where the largest concentration of Cards are and let you work your way from there."**

**"I never agreed to help you!"**

**"Then by all means go back to returning to your home in disgrace." Jaune froze at that. Zeltretch was right, the only other option he had was going home. "Don't try and fool me or yourself boy." Jaune watched as a serious look came on the old man's face for the first time. "You are not the kind of man that can stand by while people are in danger. Allow me to paint you a picture of an incredibly likely scenario, one of these cards possesses a Grimm leading to a strong enough being to tear the kingdoms' defenses apart like wet paper. Another would be these cards possessing someone or materializing a body like the one that just attacked you and in a search for the fuel they need to survive the corrupted Spirits devour every soul they get their hands on." Jaune paled at that.**

**"Oh yes that is what your fate would have been if you died; your soul would have been the Spirit's first meal." Zeltretch stepped forward and Jaune felt an oppressive weight emanate from the man and settle on his shoulders. "Your world can't handle this. Huntsman and Huntresses won't stand a chance against most of these spirits if they're given a chance to grow; perhaps a team of the best could handle a newly formed one but otherwise they are just sheep to the slaughterhouse."**

"That is absolutely terrifying." Tai stated.

"Right there with you on that, Tai." Qrow agreed while taking a drink from his flask.

**"B… but…"**

**"BUT NOTHING BOY! A Heroic Spirit is something beyond anything someone of the living can handle, only specific circumstances could lead to a human standing a chance against them." Jaune gulped at that; to hear how the greatest fighters in Remnant would be useless was jarring. Zeltretch held out his hand, a stern look on his face. "Now then, will you accept the cards and defend your world?"**

**Jaune looked at the hand stretched out in front of him as he clutched the Saber card in his hand. He was terrified to admit it but the power flowing through him when he used it was intoxicating. After being the weakling for so long, to have such vast amounts of power, even borrowed as it was, was a rush. To have Mordred accept him was a thrill, once they were connected he realized that if she desired to take his body the knight could have done so in a second yet she let him be in control. This deal, it was a risk. He could die or even worse be devoured by a rampaging spirit. **

"I'm not sure I would take that deal." Yang said uneasily.

"But would Jaune?" Blake asked.

"Well… he really doesn't have anything left to lose, does he?" Ruby said sadly as she looked down.

**Yet he could be a hero, he could be a defender of those that couldn't defend himself. His dream was in reach, all he had to do was reach out and shake Zeltretch's hand. He didn't even realize it that his hand did so without him thinking of it, before he even registered it he was shaking the vampire's hand. Zeltretch's teeth gleamed as he smiled down at Jaune.**

**With this action Jaune Arc had chosen to walk with death.**

With that, the screen went black. Everyone was silent for a while. Phoenix cleared his throat, "I suggest you all go out and clear your heads. We will be seeing more of this world in the next viewing."

Nora whined, "Do we have to?"

Phoenix gave her an apologetic look, "Yes. But it will only be one more time. Afterwards, I'll show you more lighthearted ones. With your career chose, you need to learn that your decisions have repercussions."

"Go on." He motioned to the doors as they opened. "Go stretch your legs and clear your heads. Take as much time as you need." With that, the seven students slowly got up and left the screening room to go for a walk. When they left, Phoenix gave another sigh, hating to see them look so down but he had to do it.

* * *

**A/N- This one came out way sooner than I had originally planned but I doubt any of you are complaining. And yes, the next chapter will be Chapter 2 of Deck of Heroes and then I'll move onto ones similar to the first two chapters. And of course, Jauneforever and Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh were my Beta Readers, go check them out. And I'll see you all in the next update!**


	5. A Game of Cat and Bird

**Source Material: Deck of Heroes by Jauneforever- Chapter 2**

* * *

It was getting to be close to an hour since team RWBY and the three members of JNPR left the screening room to collect themselves. A few of the adults were worried for them but Phoenix told them they were fine. And none of them were going to argue with him since he was probably the only person here that knew exactly how they were feeling, being the controller of the world around them gave him more insight. That didn't stop Winter from asking permission to leave to check on her sister, leaving the adults and Phoenix alone.

And since the only people in the room were the ones aware of the more secretive part of Remnant, Ozpin believed it would be an advantage to get some advice from the Host. "Phoenix, if you don't mind, can I ask how much you know of our world?"

Phoenix was currently reading a small book, letting him see the events of one of the worlds he had grown fond of. "If you mean beyond what most people know, all of it." He turned the page, "Magic, Maidens, Vaults, Relics, Salem, Ozma, the Brothers….I'm pretty sure that is it." He looked back up to see that the adults were kind of stunned by the nonchalant way he said all that. "I've seen a lot of things across the Multiverse, takes a lot to shock me nowadays."

Ozpin cleared his throat, "Can I get your advice on something?"

Phoenix met the ancient man's eyes for a while before he sighed. He closed his book and it disappeared in a bout of orange fire. "I had a feeling you'd bring this up. And since this is a sensitive topic, I'll give us some privacy." With that, violet fire danced across his form before they disappeared. A second later, the same fire danced around Ozpin, making them all jump back and Ozpin to freeze. He didn't feel the sense of burning he knew all too well but a strange warmth.

The flames died down and Ozpin looked himself over before turning to Phoenix, "What did you do?"

"I made it so we can speak openly. Only the two of us can understand the other right now. To anyone else, it'll just sound like an entirely different language."

"Oz, what the heck are you two saying?" Qrow asked, severely confused as he looked between the two.

He turned to him but this time, Qrow could hear him, "Phoenix wishes for this conversation to be private. So, he made it so only I can understand him. Please, give us a few minutes." He then turned back to the Writer.

Phoenix immediately started to continue, "You want to know how to stop Salem." He stated and Ozpin just nodded. "I can't tell you."

The Headmaster's eyes widened, "What?"

He nodded, "I can't tell you. I have seen multiple worlds, but what solves the problem in one has no guarantee to work in another. Hell, it could even make it worse than before."

Ozpin nodded after a second, "I see."

"But I can give you a theory of mine." Ozpin looked back at him in interest. "You asked Jinn, 'How can I destroy Salem?' So in essence, you asked, 'How could Ozma destroy Salem?' You and I both know you tried and couldn't kill her at your top strength, so when she said you couldn't, she could've referred to you specifically."

Ozpin's eyes widened as Phoenix continued, "You still have two questions for this century. The two questions that you could ask are: How can Salem be destroyed? Or, _who_ can destroy Salem?" Phoenix thought for a second. "Or, if Salem can truly not be destroyed, you could always try, how can Salem be _defeated_? In chess, you never kill the opposing King, you make it surrender after all." Phoenix though for a bit. "That's all the advice I can give you though."

Ozpin was silent for a while, "Thank you, Phoenix. You've given me a lot to think about."

The Writer nodded, "It's partly why I brought you all here." With that, the violet flames reappeared but when they burnt out this time, both could be understood by the room as a whole. Ozpin didn't say anything and the others that were part of his inner circle just kept looking at the two but by then, Phoenix was back to reading about one of the countless worlds of Remnant.

It wasn't much longer after that and the eight missing viewers all returned, looking much better than when they left. Tai smiled at his daughters and their friends, "How you all feeling?"

Yang smiled widely, "Better. We found a gym and sparring room. It helped us work through a lot of what we were feeling."

"It was great!" Nora shouted in joy. "All the equipment was great plus you could create so many different opponents in the sparring room."

Phoenix looked back up, "Did you find the gravity simulator?"

"What is that?" Pyrrha looked over in confusion.

"It's something I saw in a few worlds and added it in. You can increase the gravity of certain areas of the gym and sparring rooms. That way you can get more out of the fight or workout. Although, I made sure it won't get high enough to cause any damage to you. It will only go as high as your bodies can take."

"That sounds epic!" Yang said excitedly.

Phoenix chuckled, "Well glad you think so. Now, as much as I don't want to bring the mood down, we should continue with the viewing."

That did make a few of them sulk. Ruby looked at him, "You said we can see some happier ones afterwards?"

He nodded, "I have two or three already in mind, Ruby." With that reassurance, they all sat down with more snacks. Phoenix snapped his fingers and the screen came back to life.

_**Journal Entry/ Post Beacon entry 4**_

_**Right, so this journal's purpose has changed a great deal since two weeks ago. Rather than record my life at Beacon its purpose is now to document the insanity that is my life now. Some days I think I must actually be in a padded cell right now but Mordred is always ready to remind me that I couldn't dream up someone like her even if I tried. Right, I'm repeating myself now. Let's move on to the purpose of this entry and document what the Spirits I can use are capable of.**_

"Getting right into it, huh?" Qrow said a she leant back in his seat. "Good, no beating around the bush."

_**First, because I'll never hear the end of it otherwise, is Mordred. So far she is the most powerful servant I can call upon. Her armor is incredibly durable, more so to survive her own strength than anything. Her Crimson Lightning technique is her go-to option for long-distance attacks but throwing her blade is something I have memories of her doing. Her Nobel Phantasm is something I haven't touched yet but the destructive power I've seen makes it something I won't touch in a populated area. **_

"Before anyone asks…" Phoenix started, stopping Weiss form speaking, "A Nobel Phantasm is a vastly powerful attack or spell. Consider it the strongest move the Spirit has." Everyone nodded.

_**Diarmuid is the second servant I managed to Install. A master of a twin-spear fighting style; he's faster and more agile than Mordred as well as more strategically minded. For once luck was on my side and when I Install him I do not receive the Love Spot that caused him so much trouble. His spears are terrifying, one creates wounds that will never heal and the other will cancel or pierce anything magical. The latter will be useful once we face a Caster class while the other will ensure those that rely on outlasting their opponents will be faced with wounds that constantly bleed them out. A note to myself; when making deals never have Diarmuid Installed. He is proof there is such a thing a too loyal and I don't want his mindset influencing me while I make deals.**_

"Ouch, that's one hell of an ability." Yang spoke up. "I wouldn't want to face that. I don't think the energy I would absorb would be worth it."

"I'm actually curious if the other spear could effect Semblances." Winter asked. "Like my sister's and mine."

Phoenix shook his head, "No. Magic and aura are two different things. It won't cancel aura but it is more than capable of punching through it."

_**Finally we have Medusa the Rider. Her memories were disturbing to say the least. Mordred and Diarmuid had some horrifying memories filled with bloodshed and carnage but theirs' were on the field of battle. Medusa's were memories of her being hunted down or her doing the hunting. More and more I receive new memories of her decent into madness and I feel only sorrow for her. Cursed by a goddess and set upon by 'heroes' from across the land, added on to her sisters treatment of her, her mind just couldn't take it. On a side note saying so made her act oddly for a time but she soon returned to her normal self. Installing her is interesting to say the least. For one her outfit changes from a dress to some very tight shorts and a sleeveless top for me. Secondly is the way I'm blindfolded when she is Installed. Her eyes are her main Nobel Phantasm and therefore covered when not in use; in exchange my other senses are incredibly heightened. This is the Install that has me the most closely linked to the spirit as her experience and skill are even more important with the lack of sight. Her main weapon is a set of nail-shaped daggers attached to chains, combined with her great speed hit and run tactics are my best choice for using her.**_

"Interesting." Ozpin stated as he took a sip of his coffee. The aspect of her eyes was reminding him a lot of the Silver Eyed Warriors. "I'd be curious to see Mr. Arc fight like that."

"I wonder why the clothing would change though. It's not like Jaune didn't rock that dress at the Dance." Nora said with a smirk. Everyone that had seen that scene started to giggle to laugh. Pyrrha had a heartwarming smile since she remembered why Jaune had done so in the first place. It was very sweet.

**With the final addition to his journal Jaune shut down the journal app on his scroll and tucked it away. Two weeks since he had taken Zeltretch up on his offer and he had come to see exactly why the Vampire was concerned. Three cards, that's how many he had found and while the first two, a horned figure wielding a gigantic ax and a gunslinger respectively, had been newly born the third, a Spirit that appeared to be a young woman that threw around fire and turned into a dragon at one point, had slaughtered a whole trading caravan. By the time he found it nothing but bits of burnt wood and charred skeletons had remained. It was at that point that Jaune was truly thankful for the memories he had seen of his Heroic Spirits as they let him ignore that detail until after the corrupted Spirit was defeated. Once that was done he spent an hour vomiting whatever was in his stomach as Diarmuid talked him through it. Within twenty-four hours after every fight Zeltretch would show up to collect the cards.**

"I'm getting more and more thankful those aren't in our Remnant." Goodwitch spoke in relief.

"I'm glad we can't smell it." Ironwood shuddered. "That scent is just haunting." Most of the adults nodded.

**Jaune smiled as he looked around the Shion, apparently he had wandered through just in time for a big wedding and there was plenty of work to be done. He had traded his services for room and board; performing whatever task needed to be done while listening for gossip that could relate to a Card. Diamurd had been jubilant the whole time; telling the tale of him and Grianne.**

**"**_**And that is how my and Grianne's union came to be." **_**Jaune just nodded along, unsure of how to think about the story. Mordred however….**

**"**_**Tch, so you're just like Lancelot. I'll at least allow you the fact she used a Geas to make you run off with her but you still married her."**_

**"**_**I loved her and until my King accepted it I lied not a single finger upon her. She was as pure as snow until we consummated our marriage." **_

**"**_**YOU STILL BETRAYED THE ONE YOU SWORE YOUR LOYALTY TO!"**_

**"**_**SHUT IT KNIGHT OF BETRAYAL! THE ONE WHO BROUGHT THEIR KINGDOM'S DEMISE HAS NO RIGHT TO " **_**Jaune winced as the two knights began to argue; wishing Mordred would make up her mind on if she hated her father or not as then this argument would stop.**

Weiss and Winter thought about their own father. Even now they weren't sure of their feelings for the man that helped bring them into the world.

**"**_**Both of you, quiet. You're making Master uncomfortable." **_**Medusa's voice filled Jaune's ears, a curious mix of sultry and concerned. Both knights quieted down at that, something Jaune thanked Medusa for as he sat down on a bench in the town square. He looked around, taking in the banners and lights set up. Shion was a constant vacation spot for the Arc family, the town's harvest festival famous throughout the area and being back in it brought back some bittersweet memories.**

**Mordred had made him question his parents and sisters way of raising him; the knight finding it disturbing that in such a dangerous land the sole heir was not taught to survive. Jaune had been forced to explain gender-equality to Mordred and discovered the young girl's hatred of her gender. Since then Jaune had made an effort to only call her by her given name as any use of feminine pronouns set her off. Still her thoughts stuck with him and Jaune had been forced to take a hard look at his life. Yes his family wanted him safe but they forbid him from taking even introductory self-defense classes. And while the town he grew up in was a relatively safe place they did lose people to Grimm and bandits, Jaune himself had lost three friends to the soulless beasts over the years.**

"I agree with him. Doesn't matter how safe you think you are; he should've been taught something in case a Grimm showed up." Nora expressed her opinion. Ren nodding alongside her. Both knowing just how dangerous this world of theirs was.

"I have to agree." Pyrrha added. "It wasn't like he even lived in the Kingdoms where it is much safer. Villages can be set upon by Grimm at almost anytime."

Tai nodded slightly, "Patch is peaceful and even if my girls didn't want to become Huntresses, I would've trained them in the off chance a Grimm did show up. So, I have no idea on why they wouldn't not just train him but forbid him to."

**Instead of a sword Jaune was trained to wield a needle, the only reason he used a knife was to cook, for crying out loud he was turned into a skilled masseuse when his sisters wanted him to help ease the back-pain puberty had brought them. The memories of Medusa's sisters treating their sister like a servant only settled the point, that his family had decided the only worth he had was as a butler to them. Jaune was sure they loved him but it was hard to look past both the lessons and the fact that when his sisters decided what they wanted to be they had received full support unlike him.**

**"**_**They probably just wanted to keep you safe, I know that my old man wanted me to spend a long time before joining him in his house and Anegus was the same."**_

**'Maybe, or did they want to keep me indoors and ensure I didn't embarrasses them. Either way they wanted me stuck in a gilded cage.' His servants kept quiet at that and Jaune got up as the mayor of the town, an aging man in his sixties named Bacchus, came up to him.**

"That's not true. Right?" Ruby asked out loud.

Phoenix sighed, "Its complicated, Ruby. His family did love him but went about showing it the wrong way. That's what's causing this strain."

That didn't make her feel better. She knew Jaune loved his family and seeing this version of him start to question that love was painful to see.

**"Jaune my boy, would you mind keeping an eye on my granddaughter, Thalia, while I deal with some more adult matters of the upcoming festivities?" At Bacchus' words an eight-year old brunette dressed in a pink sundress and her hair set in pigtails came out from behind his legs and pouted up at the man. Jaune grinned at Thalia, having come to know the little girl rather well over the past few days.**

"She's so cute!" Nora shouted as her and many of the other women in the room gushed over her. The men not so much but agreed she was an adorable little girl.

**"Grandpa, I'm plenty grown-up. I even have a part in auntie Vivian's wedding." The mayor chuckled at the little girl and leaned down to pat her on the head.**

**"Yes, yes. I'm sure you'll be an excellent flower girl but this is something you'll need to be a bit older for."**

**"How old?"**

**"You'll need wrinkles like mine before you can get involved in these matters. Come know, didn't you say how awesome it be to spend time with Jaune earlier." Jaune felt a blush on his cheeks as Thalia turned bright red. Stepping up her leaned over and held out his hand to the girl.**

"Aww, she has a crush on him." Yang said with a grin. "My heart may give out from all this adorableness."

**"Let's leave the geezer to whatever he had to do, okay? The two of us can go enjoy the game stalls they set up this morning." A bright smile is his answer.**

**"Thank you Jaune, I'll get her in a few hours." Jaune waved the mayor off but accepted the Lien the man gave him for the games. Nodding to Bacchus Jaune scooped Thalia up and carried her off to the game stalls.**

**The first one Thalia wanted to do was a ring toss game, the little girl eagerly playing the game and earning a stuffed cat. Following that she dragged Jaune to the darts, earning a little crown for her efforts. That was how Jaune spent the next two hours, following Thalia around as she racked up the prizes. If a bit of his own Lien was used to pay for her fun Jaune so be it, after the last few week he had lived Jaune was enjoying the joy that radiated from the innocent little girl.**

"Looks like his 'Big Brother' instincts are kicking in." Pyrrha said with a small smile.

**"So then little lady, which do you want to end with." Thalia eagerly pointed to a basketball game that had been set up. The goal was to score twenty goals, a prize being earned based on how many you made.**

**"That one, that one." Jaune set Thalia down in front of it and handed the woman manning the stall the Lien needed to play. The little girl eagerly picked up her first ball and threw it up wildly, hitting the backboard and sending it flying back at her, Jaune plucked the ball from the air before it hit her and set it down.**

**"Hey, bit too much power behind it. Here, like this." Jaune led Thalia through the next shot, showing her how to do it just like his sisters did for him once. Thalia managed to get the next three through the hoop and barely missed the fifth. Jaune just laughed and ruffled her hair as she pouted at her streak being broken. By the end of it Thalia had managed to get a score of 13/20. Jaune couldn't help but chuckle at the girl's choice of a foam sword as her prize.**

**"**_**Agreed, at least make it wood. How else is she supposed to do damage with it?" **_**It took everything Jaune had not to double over laughing at the sheer indignation in Mordred's voice.**

Blake leant over to whisper to Yang, "Is it wrong that I could see Ruby saying that?" Yang instantly had to cover her mouth to muffle the sound of her laughing.

Ruby turned to the two with a glare, "I heard that!"

**"Jaune." The knight looked down at Thalia who held her sword up at him. "Can you teach me how to use a sword." Jaune got down on one knee so that he was face to face with the young girl.**

**"And why do you want to wield a sword."**

**"To kill the bandits." Jaune's blood ran cold and a silence filled the area at the Thalia's statement. The sheer hatred on her face scared Jaune, it didn't belong on a girl as young as her. "They took my Mommy from me, Daddy never recovered and one day he died from a broken heart. It hurt him so much it exploded inside his chest; you could see it on his clothes." Jaune's mouth dried as he realized this little girl had walked in on her father after he killed himself, someone clearly making her think that tale was true. "I want to make sure every bandit dies, I want to make sure no-one else losses a mommy or daddy to them." Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at him, clutching the toy sword to her chest. "So please teach me how to kill them." Jaune shakily enveloped Thalia in a hug, his heart aching at listening to this girl's story. He knew her Grandfather was raising her and that he was the only family she still had; that her calling the bride auntie was simply because of how close the young woman was to Thalia but he had no idea just how she had lost her family.**

The room was silent with that. None of them prepared for the sheer sadness of the young girls tale. No child that young should have to deal with that. Ruby instinctually reached out to hold her sisters hand, which she squeezed back. They at least had one of their parents after what happened to Summer. Ren wrapped his arm around Nora, seeing how upset she was getting. She instantly leant into him to feel more comfort.

**"I can't, I can't just train you for something like that."**

**"But.."**

**"You are an eight-year old girl, your life goal shouldn't be to kill people. Besides you're too young for that. " Jaune knew most people started combat training around eleven, ten at most. He had started asking, and being denied, training at this age.**

"**But.."**

**"You want to protect people right?" Jaune pushed Thalia back so he could see her teary nod. "Then know I want to protect you; I want you to live your childhood and when you turn eleven I'll come back and train you so we can get you ready to protect your loved ones. Okay." Thalia nodded and held up a hand, her fingers curled up except for her pinkie.**

**"Promise." Jaune looped his own pinkie around hers and smiled at her.**

"Looks like Mr. Arc isn't getting out of that one now." Ozpin said with a small smile.

"An Arc never breaks his word." Pyrrha parroted her partner.

"Originally, I wouldn't think that Mr Arc would be a good teacher but considering he has the skills of three vastly powerful warriors, I don't think she could have a better teacher." Goodwitch brought up.

A few of the students turned to her in shock and Weiss spoke up, "I'm surprised to hear you say that, Professor. I thought you didn't exactly like Jaune."

Goodwitch sighed, "It's not a matter of dislike, Miss Schnee. I just didn't want him to get in a situation he wasn't prepared for. He may not have the physical skill the rest of you have, but he has the tactical mind that will bring him far."

**"Promise; and remember that I never break my word. Now let's go get you a slice of pie, my treat." Just like that Thalia was all smiles and cheer again as she ran over to the lady selling pie. Jaune followed after her, opening his wallet to get the lien.**

**"On the house." Jaune looked up from fishing through is wallet to see Thalia chewing on a mouthful of pie, whipped cream forming a mustache and beard on her face, while the salesgirl smiled at him. "Thalia hasn't smiled like that in a while, I'm happy to help the man that helped her do so." Jaune grinned at the girl and handed her the lien anyway.**

**"Thanks but I don't need a reward for that." Jaune slipped his wallet in his pocket and picked Thalia up as she munched on her treat. "She's just too cute not to want her smiling." Turning around to head back to the town square Jaune didn't notice the blush on the salesgirl.**

"Huh, looks like she is smitten by the Arc." Winter spoke up. That made Pyrrha and Yang glare at the screen in jealousy before the blonde shook her head and wondered why she had done that.

**Thalia fell asleep on the way back after she finished her pie, the day finally catching up to her. That was how Jaune handed her off to Bacchus, fast asleep with a pie-stained mouth and her toy sword clutched in her hand. The rest of her goodies in a plastic bag he gave the elderly man.**

Again, a flood of cooing came from most of the women in the screening room. Phoenix just chuckled at them but agreed with them, nonetheless.

**"Heard about what you promised her, whole town probably knows about it. You do plan on coming back boy?" Bacchus' question ends in a glare that narrows off when Jaune nods.**

**"Of course, I made a promise to her." Bacchus nods, a smile on his face.**

**"Good, having a former Beacon student training her will be good." Jaune stares at him in shock; having made no mention of his past. "Come now, you were in the first two rounds of the Festival. Maybe you got overlooked by most for the flashier contenders and with Nikos beside you but I was amazed by your tactics. So why aren't you back at school." Jaune clenches his fist as the image of his former friends goes through his mind.**

The students faces fell with that. The guilt of what their alternatives did weighing on them once again. "A part of me was hoping that wouldn't be brought up again." Blake said quietly with the other six nodded along with her.

"Remember, they are not you." Goodwitch spoke up. "And from seeing this, it can help ensure that you will not make the same mistake with our Mr. Arc." The students then nodded at what their professor had said.

**"They found someone better."**

**"Then they're fools." Jaune sends a grateful smile to the man before saying his goodbyes and heading towards the inn.**

**"**_**So Master, got yourself a Squire now?" **_

**"**_**Squire?"**_

**"**_**Kinda a combination of a servant and apprentice. You going to make that girl your squire?" **_**Jaune snorted as he lay down on his bed.**

**"**_**Nope, I'll just give her a leg up when the time comes."**_** His piece said Jaune closes his eyes.**

**Dreams are something that he had unknowingly traded away once he took of the Class Cards. His nights were filled with the memories of the Heroic Spirits. Mordred and Diarmuid's were a mix of their times spent in royal courts or bloody battles while Medusa's had so far been her time on her island as she slowly descended into madness. This was none of that; if anything it was worse. He was watching someone carry a green-hair baby out into the woods; the intent clear. The perpetrator drops the basket holding the child none too gently and leaves the baby crying. Jaune can only watch as a pack of wolves comes into view, his stomach twisting at what he's about to see only for the wolves to run.**

"Goddamn it!" Yang shouted as she threw her hands up into the air, "What is with all these crappy parents we keep seeing. It's starting to piss me off!"

Blake was rubbing her chin in thought, "This must be the memories of another of his Spirits. But I can't remember which one this would be though."

**Jaune can't blame them, even in a memory the feeling washing over him is clear. This is divine power, emanating from a silver-haired woman that comes into view, her hair casting a shadow on her face and obscuring her features as she leans over to pick up the child. The baby's cries ending as the woman holds her close.**

Ozpin gave a shudder that the others didn't pick up on. He was remembering his brief encounters he had with the Gods of Light and Darkness. The older still had a more positive memory but the younger brother still made him uneasy for good reason.

**"Hello little one. Such a horrible man to throw you away for being born a girl but don't you worry. I know someone who would love to raise you, let's take you to your new family …."**

**"AAAHHHH" Screams and gunshots are what awaken Jaune from his dream. The smell of fire filling his nose, Jaune is up in an instant; snatching the cards before running out the room down the stairs of the inn.**

Everyone jumped somewhat from the shout, "Oum above! What the hell is happening now?" Tai asked.

**"Install Lancer!" By the time he hits the ground Jaune is decked out in a high-collared, green bodysuit, matching armor on one shoulder and his arms. Black boots with the metal toe guards replaced his own. In his grip were two spears: Gae Buidhe ,the yellow spear, that dealt wounds that never healed and Gae Dearg ,the red spear, that pierced through all magic. On the ground floor a man was pointing a gun at the inn's owner and his wife, a twisted grin on his face. When the sound of Jaune hitting the floor caught his attention he turned only to see Gae Buidhe a second before it pierced his eye before skewering his brain.**

"Holy shit!" Yang cursed. None of them expecting to see someone get killed. The most unsettling part was how easily and instinctually Jaune had done so.

"H-how could J-jaune just do that?" Ruby asked shakily as she just saw her best friend do that.

"It was either him or those innocent people, kiddo." Qrow said in an even tone. "Sometimes you have no choice in the matter."

"Still I agree with Miss Rose." Ironwood spoke up, "Mr. Arc killed without a beat of hesitation. That is…unnerving considering how young he is."

"It's because of the cards." Phoenix answered and as they turned to him, he continued. "He's seen all the Spirits he can use kill before. All of that combined experience has numbed him to it. He won't kill if he doesn't have to but he has no qualms with doing so now."

**"Stay inside and hide!" Jaune ran outside after shouting out to the couple, his voice now a mix of his and Diarmuid. The bandit's corpse sliding of his spear as he ran outside to find a nightmare. Bandits were chasing people, shooting anything they pleased and stealing the rest. One had a woman pinned to the wall, tearing away at her clothes.**

**"Time for some fun swee…ACCCKKK!" The bandit's voice was cut off as a spear ran through his side. Jaune kicking his body off the spear and quickly handing the woman her assaulter's gun before running off, unable to stay longer. A group of three bandits entered his vision as he turned a corner, a corpse by their feet as they laughed.**

No one complained about that death. All knowing just what that bastard was going to do. They all noticed fire surround Phoenix before he took a deep breath and the fires faded away.

**"Fucking bastards!" All three died in a second, decapitated by the spears. Another two were came around the corner and shared their fate.**

**"Uhhh." A weak groan caught Jaune's attention and he turned to see the girl that manned the pie stall lying against a wall, blood stains all over her white shirt. The spear-wielder was by her side in a second, his heart sinking as he took in the amount of blood and bullet holes he saw.**

**"Hey! Come on, you got to stay awake!" The girls eyes were dull, the life he saw in them yesterday nearly gone. For a second clarity seemed to return to the girl.**

**"Oh it's you. Heh, I suppose it's better to die with you as my last sight."**

**"Hey, stop talking like that!"**

**"I really was looking forward to tomorrow; I planned to take up most of the space on your dance card." Jaune felt tears well up in his eyes. He didn't even know this girl but here she was bleeding out in his arms and nothing he could do about it.**

That was making Ruby tear up. She wanted to be a Huntress to save people and in this situation, she would be just as useful as Jaune. As that was happening, many were turning from the screen, all seeing enough death in their own lives.

**"Yeah, just hold on and you can have that. Hell we can spend the whole-time dancing if you want, just hang on." The girl raised a bloodstained hand and put it against his cheek.**

**"You shouldn't promise a girl a good time if you can't deliver. Ma..make sure Thalia smiles again oka.." She's gone with that, the life fully leaving her eyes. Jaune grits his teeth as he rubs his eyes.**

**"Well look a…AHHHHH!" The bandit that spoke was slammed into the ground, both spears through his chest. Jaune pulled them out and then speared the man through once more, this time through the neck and the right lung.**

**"I'm going to kill all of you. Every last stinking one of you are going to die today."**

That made his friends shiver. Not just the words but the tone in which he said that. It was cold, with no emotions behind it. And he was saying it as a fact, nothing less. That also had the adults unnerved a bit. Especially his teachers, not expecting this side of the young Arc.

**"What's was that!" Jaune lunges at the sound of more bandits, spearing another one through and forcing her body between him and the bandits behind his victim. Bullets riddle the female bandit and with a heave Jaune tosses her body at the shooters. The corpse hits one and sends him flying back into a wall with a sickening crunch leaving three more.**

"That was hard to watch." Weiss said weakly.

"It was effective, sister." Winter told her. "In a life or death situation, everything is allowed. He is doing what he needs to survive and save the people around him.

"Still doesn't mean that it isn't brutal." Yang muttered to herself.

There was a brief silence before Winter answered, "No. It doesn't."

**"UAHHHH!" Jaune leaps into the air both spears ready to strike. The bandits fire at him but each bullet that would hit him is swatted away by his spears. When he lands he spears through the two on the sides while slamming his feet into the middle one, crushing her neck underneath his boots.**

"I don't know how much more of this I can take." Ruby said, feeling a bit queasy.

**"STOP RIGHT THERE!" Jaune turns to glare at the voice and is met with thirty bandits pointing their weapons at a majority of Shion's population. Bacchus is on the ground with a bullet wound in a shoulder while Thalia is crying by his side. "Drop the spears or these people get it." Jaune stands up, looking over the situation before uninstalling Lancer, knowing he can't do anything. Despite how fast he was some of the bandits would have time to empty their clips before he dealt with them. The man in charge blinks as the boy's clothes and weapons change but shrugs it off as a semblance of some kind.**

**"That was the right move kid now then you're go…" The bandit stops talking and glares at Thalia. "Someone shut that brat up!" One bandit turns his weapon on Thalia and Jaune screams at them to stop alongside the rest of the town. Their words mean nothing, the man shoots. The silence following the shot is even more deafening than the shot itself, bloods staining the ground where Thalia once stood.**

**"GRANDPA!" Bacchus lay dead on the ground, a bullet hole in his head. The old man had managed to shove his granddaughter out of the way at the cost of his life.**

"No!" shouted most of the audience. Ruby quickly turned and buried her face into Weiss, shocking the heiress. She gently wrapped her arms around Ruby as she started to cry.

"They need to die. All of them." Pyrrha said with an angry glare and tears in her eyes. "No one should ever threaten a child."

"I agree wholeheartedly." Yang said with her red eyes burning into the screen. Blake, Ren and Nora just agreed silently as they also glared at the screen and what they just did to the older man.

**"DAMM IT! Now we got to blow the safe rather than make that old coot tell us. Now shut the little bitch up right now." Jaune growled as his hand unconsciously grabbed a card. "Hey you stop moving!"**

**"**_**They dare threaten a child! TAKE MY POWER! KILL EVERY LAST ONE OF THESE MONSTERS! SEND THEM TO THE FIELDS OF PUNISHMENT!"**_

**"With pleasure; INSTALL ARCHER!" Everyone was forced to cover their eyes as a harsh light erupted from Jaune's position. A twang filled the air as well as screams and when everyone could see once more all the bandits but the leader were dead. Jaune stood in front of them, a blueish-green jacket over a black undershirt and shorts combo. Tall black boots with yellow soles replaced his own. Black metal gauntlets covered his hand to his elbows. A massive black bow highlighted with yellow was held in his hands. His hair was now streaked with green; a pair of feline ears sticking up from the hair while a blonde tail swished angerly behind him. His eyes burned with rage. The arrow that was nocked flew and pierced the bandit leader's hand; forcing him to drop his weapon. By the time it hit the ground another arrow had formed in Jaune's hand and been nocked and shot; this time piercing the man's knee.**

Everyone was stunned by how quickly Jaune had dispatched the bandits. Especially because he only used a bow. "Damn…" Qrow said for all of them.

Blake meanwhile was looking over Jaune's appearance, 'Is that what Jaune would look like as a Faunus?' she asked herself before she shook her head. She then focused on what was about to happen, for better or worse.

**"AHHH!" The bandit screamed as he hit the ground, looking up he saw the boy glaring down at him and in his fear at the sight the bandit's bowels betrayed him. Another arrow was nocked, ready to plunge into the man. "Wa…wait I'm not the one in charge! I can tell you where to find my boss!" The man took the fact he still breathed to continue and began to spout out directions and coordinates. "There, so you'll let me live!"**

**"SCCHKKK!" The man collapsed to the ground; dead with an arrow sticking out of his eye. Jaune looked at the remaining villagers with a dead look in his eyes.**

**"I'll go finish this for good. Start burying your dead and use the rest for fertilizer. Let them have a bit of value for once." Jaune then walked over to Thalia, getting down on one knee and kissing the girl on the top of her head. "I'm sorry I couldn't save him. Hate me all you want once I return but allow me to grant your wish." Jaune's gaze slipped to Bacchus, anger filling his heart at the sight of the kind man's body. It was with that Jaune began to run; he ran towards the spot the bandit had said he would find the leader. His prey, that was what he was after.**

"Oh, Jaune." Pyrrha said sadly. Jaune just looked so broken there and if that young girl hated him at the end of all this, she didn't know if she could take it.

"This is one good thing that came from Jaune leaving Beacon." Everyone turned to Phoenix in shock. He motioned to the screen, "If Jaune wasn't there, Shion would've been destroyed. And I mean that, Shion would be gone and everyone would be dead. He may have been unable to save everyone but he saved a large amount. And sometimes, that's the best you can do."

Everyone was silent for a minute, letting it all sink in. Ozpin then nodded with a sigh, "Wise words, wise words."

**"**_**I apologize for not aiding you sooner. Perhaps if I had that girl would not cry so. From here on I swear my utmost loyalty to you Master. I, Atalanta, offer my power to you so that you may hunt down your foes." **_**Memories filled Jaune with the name. Whatever distrust Atalanta had held for him becoming perfectly clear with each one. Most men had brought her nothing but trouble; the fact he looked like one of the worst offenders clearly aiding in that distrust.**

**"**_**Doesn't matter now, let's just finish this hunt and ease a little girls sorrow." **_

**"Mam." Raven looked up from her desk, a map filled with notes on it. Each one designating how much time had passed since an area had been raided. The bandit leader stared at Vernal, awaiting whatever it was that had her second-in-command disrupt her while she was planning the tribes next move.**

"Mom!" Yang shouted in shock.

"Raven." Tai said in disappointment as he shook his head.

"I had a feeling this is where it was going." Qrow said in disdain. The younger viewers turned to him, even the Ruby who just stopped crying. Qrow sighed, "Me and Raven were raised by bandits and once we were of age, we were sent off to Beacon. We were supposed to learn more of Hunters to become Anti-Hunters for a lack of a better term." He took a swig of his flask before continuing. "While I was there, I decided I preferred being on the up and up and for a while, I thought Raven was the same. Until one day she just disappeared and I knew exactly where she went."

There was a silence until Tai looked at the shocked Yang, "That's the reason why I didn't want you to find out about your mother, Yang. I wasn't sure how you would take it."

Yang just looked down and just let it all sink in. In the silence, the two remaining members of RWBY were just looking between the family members, not sure what to say, if anything. After a few seconds, the screen continued and everyone continued to watch.

**"This was just shot into camp." Vernal held out a bloody arrow, a piece of paper wrapped around the shaft.**

**"Who got hit and did they live."**

**"Copper, mam. He didn't make it, hit him right in the jugular." That caught Raven's attention, the odds of hitting that area at random were low meaning someone had sniped the man. Raven unrolled the message and snorted.**

**"**_**You sent your men to kill and rape. You threatened the lives of children. This catastrophe is of your own making." **_

**"Another threat from some vengeful fool; at least this one has some strength. I'll go find this archer an…"**

**"INCOMING!"**

**Artillery. That was the one thing Raven could think of when the explosions started. The last time she heard something like this it was when she had seen Atlas bombard a Grimm horde with some mobile artillery. Raven rushed outside, slipping her mask on and drawing her blade as she did so. Outside she found green blasts of energy raining down on her camp. With a growl she sent a blast of lighting to hit a cluster of them as she called everyone near her. Vernal and twenty others made it, a mere third of her force. With further use of the Spring Maiden's power Raven managed to protect herself and those around her till the barrage finally ended. Her camp was in ruins, bodies littered the ground, her walls were in ruins, and their tents were in pieces. The last one would be the hardest to replace. People seeking money and protection were easy to find, wood was all around them, high-quality tents however weren't as easy to acquire as she'd like.**

Everyone just stared on in shock but for two different reasons. The students and Winter were in shock by the sheer destruction that Jaune had just brought down. The adults for another reason and Ozpin was the one to ask what they were all thinking, "Raven is the Spring Maiden?"

Pyrrha heard him and turned to her Headmaster, "From the fairy tale? They're real?"

Ozpin didn't answer and just looked to Phoenix for answers. The Writer didn't even look in his direction. He had revealed enough earlier and wasn't going to elaborate on that topic any further. Plus, he had a good idea on how earlier events would turn out and that would be answer enough for them.

**"Boss look over there!" Raven looked where the idiot that gave away their position and condition to the enemy gesture just in time to catch the arrow that flew by head before burying into the shouter's open mouth. From the smoke the bowman emerged, her first thought was he was a Faunus at the sight of his tail but then she caught the ears. Faunus should only have one trait that extreme yet he had two, a genetic mutation then. The man nocked another arrow that appeared out of nowhere, there was no trace of a quiver on his person.**

**"So you're the head bitch of these monsters. I can smell all the blood on you; HOW MANY INNOCENTS HAVE YOU KILLED? HOW MANY CHILDREN'S LIVES HAVE YOU CUT SHORT!?" The arrow flew and Raven cut it in two.**

**"GAHHH!" Raven's eyes widened and she spun around, expecting another enemy behind her only to find two of her men clutching at their chest, half a shaft sprouting from each of their chests. Instinct saved her, she felt the arrow flying at her chest and created a wall of ice to stop it. She smirked; this man was strong. He used her to hit two men with one arrow, successfully gambled on her believing another enemy was behind her, and then played upon her exposing her back rather than holding onto a notion of honor and waiting for her to face him. On top of that those two men he hit had aura, meaning he was shooting with enough force to punch through the protection aura provided. If only she had met him before he took his weapon up against her.**

**"Spread out, form a circle, shoot when you can." Raven trusted Vernal to follow her orders and make sure the others did as she charged the archer. Three arrows went flying her way, each one cut down. Raven slid to a stop in front of her foe and sliced at him. He put his bow between them and pushed up. Not only did the bow stop her blade but he forced her arms up. Quick as a flash his bow was ready to shoot an arrow into her heart only for him to jump to the side as a lance of earth erupted thanks to her power. Raven sent more after him, forcing him to run as her people shot at him.**

"Go, Jaune! Go!" Nora shouted. "Show that bitch who's boss!" She then froze and slowly looked back to Yang. She sheepishly scratched the back of her head, "Sorry, Yang."

Yang thought about it for a second before she shrugged, "It's not like I'm rooting for her. Especially after what she did."

**Yet even with all that he still managed to get accurate shots off at her. Each one was cut down but Raven noted the blade was cracking. She sheathed her weapon, unwilling to risk the blade breaking during a barrage of arrows and therefore needing to replace it. Black filled her vision as she was thrown back, the bow colliding with her head. Even as her head rang from the blow Raven put together the archer's plan, he had forced her to set aside her weapon while acting like he couldn't close the distance. All so he could hit her, using the bow as a club just added to the unpredictability and insured she couldn't react. Her mask broke, any protection it offered her eyes was now gone. She rolled away and glared at the archer who glared back.**

**"Those fucking eyes!" Raven lunged at him only for her sword to be swatted away; the archer spinning with the momentum of his parry and coming around to face her with two arrows nocked. She weaved around them and lashed out, shooting fire out with her sword swing and hitting him. A pained howl left his throat as he was sent back, a couple bullets hitting him as well. "I didn't think I could hate you anymore and then I find you have the same eyes as that punch-happy bitch." Raven watched as an arrow formed from nothing in his hand and was nocked, another piece of paper wrapped around it.**

Yang flinched at that and she felt a twang of pain erupt through her chest. It wasn't like she hadn't been called that or something along those lines before. It usually never really affected her and if it did, she usually decked them. But hearing Jaune say that about her…hurt so much more than she would've thought.

"Yang?" she turned to her partner. "Are you okay? You're holding your chest." Blake asked quietly.

Yang looked down and she indeed have her hand over her chest. She looked back to her partner, "Yeah. It's just jarring to see Jaune love me so much in one world to hating me in the next." Blake just raised an eyebrow with that but didn't question it, she'd wait until after the screening.

**"I offer thee…" Green energy began to wrap around the arrow. Raven charged at the archer, unwilling to see what would happen if he shot it. The man began to dodge and parry her strikes, only taking the ones that were nuisances at best. Adding to her assault Raven had lighting strike down at him but even that wasn't enough to stop him as he merely danced around the bolts. "… this calamity!" The archer's leg rushed at her, slamming into her gut and forcing her back. "PHOEBUS CATSTROPHE!" The archer launched his arrow up into the air, the projectile turning into a bolt of pure energy. Raven's eyes widen as she realizes what it is.**

**"Magic." Once the bolt reached its apex it exploded. From that more of those green projectiles rained down. Raven quickly slashed open a portal, knowing she couldn't dodge; she finished creating it none too soon. Her blade dropped from her fingers as an arrow pierced her wrist. Throwing herself into the portal Raven caught the sound on Vernal's screams, the artillery-like sound of the archers barrage, and the twang of his bow. Right as she entered the portal two more arrows slammed into her back. Darkness claimed her as she came out the other side.**

**"RAVEN!"**

Everyone was in shock at the same display of power. Phoenix spoke up quietly, "That is an example of a Noble Phantasm."

"Is…is Raven alive?" Qrow asked uncertainly. He didn't agree with what his sister did but at the end of the day, she was still his sister.

Phoenix just nodded and he gave out a weak sigh along with Tai. Yang didn't know what to do and just kept staring at the screen.

**Coral, that was the salesgirl's name. Jaune had made sure to find out her name once he returned; the dead already buried. It was at her grave he laid down a lily; having already put one on Bacchus's resting place. The wedding was going on right now, the town needing something to help counter the grief the loss of a dozen friends had caused. Jaune didn't feel he had a right to stick around after failing to kill the leader of the people that caused this tragedy. He had stuck around long enough to ensure there were no Grimm in the area and Thalia was going to be taken care of before slipping out.**

"He did everything he could." Pyrrha said weakly.

Phoenix nodded, "We know that and a part of him does as well. But with the kind of heart Jaune has, it doesn't make any difference. He still believed he failed." He gave a sad and tired grin, "An aspect I respect."

**"**_**There was nothing you could have done." **_**Jaune snorted at Atalanta's comment, unwilling to believe it.**

**"**_**She is right Master, if you had attacked more would have died. You can't save everyone." **_**Jaune just nodded as he slung his pack over his shoulder. Eager to move on, a rumor had trickled into town with some new huntsman guards that an armored Grimm had been seen and that could only mean a Class Card was involved.**

**"Jaune!" the cry drew Jaune's attention as he turned to find Thalia running towards him. He stopped his trek and nearly stumbled when she slammed into his leg, her arms wrapping around his limb. "You didn't say good-bye." Jaune ran his hand through her hair.**

**"Didn't think you'd want to see me." Thalia glared up at him.**

**"That's stupid. You're going to teach me aren't you." Jaune smiled down at the little girl, amazed by her inner strength. Not even a day since her grandfather died and she had managed to pull herself together.**

Pyrrha smiled, relieved to know that the young girl didn't hate him. That would be too much for her and him to deal with.

**"**_**Children should not have to have this kind of strength." **_**Jaune partially agreed with the huntress**

**"**_**Yes, but this is the world we live in. Better she be strong than let this tragedy weigh her down for life." **_**Jaune knew Thalia was nowhere near okay but she had an entire village ready and more than willing to help her. Thalia slipped a slip of paper into Jaune's hand.**

"He has a point as sad as it is." Ironwood said.

**"Auntie Vivian's scroll number, you need to call at least once a week." Jaune took the paper, making a mental note to add it into his contacts.**

**"Right, I'll be back in a couple years and then we'll turn you into a force of nature." Thalia grinned up at him.**

**"Right!" Jaune gave Thalia a hug before sending her back towards Shion, keeping an eye on her till she was back inside the town.**

**"**_**Yep, she's your squire. We gotta teach her my fighting style!" **_

**"**_**Tch, you think such a barbaric way of fighting would suit her. I think a lance would be the perfect weapon for her."**_

**"**_**Umm, maybe mine would work well for her Master. It give her both close and long range options."**_

**"**_**You guys need to calm down, we have wait a few years to see how she grows." **_**Jaune was pleased that got the three of them to quiet down, all of them going off at once gave him a headache.**

**"**_**Master."**_** Jaune gave a mental nod to Atalanta, letting her know he was listening. **_**"I don't like it that our prey escaped, more-so filth like that woman. I have her scent if we ever catch it again…."**_

**"**_**Yeah. The next time we meet; we turn her into a pincushion."**_

With that, the screen died down. "Raven is going to be in a lot of trouble if they ever run into each other." Qrow said.

"Honestly…she has it coming." Yang said with an edge to her voice. She couldn't believe that was the woman she was looking for all her life. She knew why her dad didn't want to tell her about the woman. Summer was her mother and she was better off or it.

"With that, we are done with this world." Phoenix raised his hand and the black book was pulled from the screen before it disappeared in a flash of fire. "Just give me some time to get the next world situated." He grabbed the red book and started to look through it with a smirk, "Maybe something more… heroic."

* * *

**A/N- And that is the second chapter for Deck of Heroes, still one of my favorite stories on this site. If you wanna see the rest, go over to Jauneforever and check it out, its so good. And who knows, maybe if enough people start doing that, JF will put out the next chapter, LOL. Also, I plan on doing another of his stories later on but the exact one I'll keep between me and him for now. Anyways, yes, what Phoenix said at the end is a hint at the next chapter. I wonder how many of you will guess what it'll be. Anyways, as per the norm, Jauneforever and Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh were the fantastic Betas, go check them out. Hope you enjoyed and I'll see you all in the next update!**


	6. His Hero Academia

**Source Material: My Hero Academia- Episodes 2, 3 and 4**

* * *

The occupants in the screening room were all reflecting on the world they had just seen throughout the last two viewings. Most were taking to heart what had transpired and were vowing to not let something like that happen to their own Jaune. That was especially so for his teammates, they had no idea just why their other selves had done that to Jaune but they would _never_ cause him that sort of pain. Because, above all else, JNPR wasn't just a team, it was a family.

While that was going on, the adults of Ozpin's inner circle were discussing other matters. Since Phoenix knew they wanted their privacy, he had invoked the same violet fire around them all so the students wouldn't hear about it. At least for now. Glynda was currently speaking to her boss, "Ozpin, do you think it's possible? Could Raven be the Spring Maiden?"

"I doubt it." Qrow answered immediately. "Raven left because she didn't want to be involve with Salem and Oz's war. I don't see her willingly becoming one of the four people she is hunting down. Would make no sense."

Ironwood stroked his chin, "Why don't we ask Phoenix?" Glynda and Qrow turned to the General, "He knows a lot about our world. He could tell us and we'll be able to act accordingly."

Ozpin took a sip from his coffee, the kind that Phoenix was having his mug refill with was some of the best he had ever had. "He won't tell us, James."

"But why?" he asked almost desperately, "Oz, he could tell us everything we want to know about how to stop her. This could be the end of it."

"I'm well aware of that. And I already tried to ask him. He told me he can't." Oz said in resignation. "He has seen countless worlds and there is not guarantee that what he has seen can even apply to our own world."

"Plus, even if I did know, I couldn't tell you anyways." Phoenix chimed in, shocking them.

"What do you mean you couldn't?" Ironwood asked.

Phoenix flipped another page in his book, he was debating between two worlds to show them next, at this point. "We Writers aren't supposed to interfere with the worlds we watch. Unless something occurs that could threaten the Multiverse as a whole, that is. And before you say anything, bringing you all here to watch other universes technically falls within a grey area, so I can do so without consequences."

"But telling us how to defeat our enemy is?" he asked angrily.

Phoenix looked up and gave him a glare, "I'd watch your tone, General. Don't blame me for what has happened to your world, blame the Brothers that did. It is not my job to fix the problems, just to record them. No matter how much I want to do so."

The general held the Writer's gaze for a few seconds before he turned away. With that, Phoenix went back to deciding what world to show next as the violet flames dissipated from around the selected adults.

Meanwhile, Blake was still looking at her partner. She just seemed so out of it since the last world. They were all effected by it but all of them had moved past it for the most part. Except Yang. She was just looking down at the ground with far off look in her eyes.

Blake sighed before she grabbed her partner's wrist and gently pulled her to her feet, finally snapping her out of her funk, "Come on. We have to talk." Before Yang could speak, Blake was already marching towards the exit. Many of the watchers saw this but none of them did anything to stop them. Phoenix watched them leave from over the top of his book as a small smile came to his lips.

Once the two were out of the screening room, Blake walked them down the hall far enough so that no one would overhear them. Once there, she let go of her partner and turned to face her, "Alright, Yang, what's wrong?"

Yang raised an eyebrow, "Nothing's wrong. Why would you ask me that?"

Blake crossed her arms with an unamused look on her face, "So staring at the ground after the viewing is supposed to be normal?"

"You've been watching me?" Yang asked as her usual smirk came to her face, "I mean I can understand _why_ you would but after so many months of living together, I thought you'd get used to all this, partner."

Blake rolled her eyes, "Yang, you can either talk to me about what is wrong or I can get Weiss and Ruby to help me out and make this a team discussion. Your choice."

Yang just glared at her partner but Blake just looked back at her unaffected. Eventually, Yang looked away and sighed, reluctantly giving in. "Fine. If you must know, what that version of Jaune said about me is still bothering me, okay?"

"But it wasn't you, Yang." Blake stated the obvious.

"I know." Yang said in frustration, "But it was a version of me. I mean, think of it. If those cards had shown up in our world, would we have done the same thing? Or would we have been better? Seeing him hate me, even another version, so much… it hurts, Blake." With that said, the brawler looked down.

Blake just looked at Yang for a bit. All of them pretty much had the same thoughts. She was just confused on just why this was affecting her so much more than the rest of them. Not counting Pyrrha because of her crush, obviously. Out of everyone on their team, besides Ruby, she probably spent the most time with Jaune since he was her sister's best friend. But even so, Ruby had managed to move past what happened. So, why not Yang? Blake then had an idea and it honestly shocked her, "Yang, do you like Jaune?"

Yang looked up immediately with her eyes wide, "What?! No, of course not. Why would you think that?"

"Because the only one taking it this hard is Pyrrha and I don't need to explain why to you. Even Ruby isn't this shaken up. So, it only leads me to one possibility." Blake explained.

Yang just stood there looking at her partner, trying to figure out what to say but unfortunately, nothing came to her. She eventually sighed, "I wouldn't say 'like'. But I would say that it is a crush… A big one."

Blake just looked at Yang in shock, "When did this happen? Last time I checked, you really weren't interested in dating anyone, let alone Jaune."

"Honestly, I think I was starting to like him and just didn't realize. But it was that universe with the Magic Knights that made me come to terms with it." Yang answered. "Seeing just how much my other self and that Jaune were in love…just struck a chord with me. And…I didn't hate what I saw there."

That made Blake slightly worried, "Yang, just because it worked in one universe doesn't mean it'll work in ours. Jaune isn't that version-"

"I know, Blake! I know that." Yang interrupted her. "I'm not saying I want _that_ Jaune. If I want to be with any Jaune… I would want it to be ours. The one that sees me for myself, not the attractive body men and women only want one thing from. The one that loves his family so much. The one that treats Ruby so well. The Jaune that has been putting his heart and soul into his training to achieve his goal." Yang finished with a heartfelt smile as he looked at the ground.

Blake just looked at Yang before her own tiny smile came to her lips. She was relieved to see that Yang had put some thought into this. "Well, that's good to hear. But, if I'm going to be honest, the way you just spoke about Jaune makes me think maybe this is more than a crush." She gave her a teasing smile.

Yang looked at her before a faint blush took over her cheeks. She cleared her throat a bit, "Well… I guess I'll find out when we get back." She then had her usual smile in place, "Although, it's not like I'm going to take 'no' for an answer. I'm making sure I get one date and I'll make sure he gives us a chance because of it."

Blake just nodded before she started to walk to the screening room, "I wish you the best of luck. Remember, you still need to beat Pyrrha." That made the blonde freeze for a second. She quickly shook her head before following after her partner.

Once they were back and seated, Phoenix looked up and was ready to show the next universe. "Well, with you two back, we can move onto the next universe."

"So, what's next on the list?" Yang asked as she retook her seat and took a sip from her soda.

"In this universe, by some unexplained phenomena, eighty percent of the world's population have some sort of superpower or, as they call them, Quirks."

"It's a world full of superheroes!? That is awesome!" Ruby said excitedly, with Nora, Pyrrha and Yang silently agreeing with her. Well, Nora wasn't silent.

Phoenix nodded, "Exactly. The greatest of heroes, the Symbol of Peace, is a man known as All Might and he is the personal hero of Jaune. His dream is to become a hero just as great as him." His face fell slightly, "That was until he found out he was one of the few people to not have a Quirk."

That made them all upset and Yang spoke her mind, "Really? Another world where he can't achieve his dream?"

Phoenix shook his head, "No. Even after he was told that, he didn't give up. He started to learn as much as he could from the heroes in the media. And eventually, he met All Might and the conversation didn't go as well as he hoped. All Might told him just how dangerous the world is and…well, one thing lead to another. A villain All Might captured got away and nearly killed Jaune's childhood friend, Cardin."

That earned him more confused looks, "Jaune is friends with Cardin!?" Pyrrha asked, with only faintly hidden disgust.

Phoenix nodded slightly, "When they were kids. Now…not so much. Honestly, their whole relationship is complicated. So, let's just jump in and I'll explain when needed." He smirked as another fireball arose from the book and flew towards the screen. It was absorbed as the world was presented to all of them.

**The universe opened up to show a younger Jaune Arc, around fourteen, dressed in an all-black school uniform. He was walking down a small side street at sunset. He had his head down as he just kept walking, 'I wanted to apologize to All Might, but he was still being interviewed…' he thought to himself. 'I'll try sending him a message on his website when I get home.'**

"**Deku!" A familiar voice shouted behind him. **

"Deku?" Pyrrha asked in confusion as she turned to the Writer.

"It's a nickname Cardin gave him when they were kids." Phoenix explained. "Without a direct translation, think of it as meaning 'Worthless' or close enough to it."

"And they used to be friends?" Yang asked as she bristled at that.

Phoenix sighed, "Again, complicated. Not getting into it."

**Jaune turned to see that it was indeed Cardin running towards him. "Cardin?"**

**Cardin stopped running about twenty or so feet from him as he panted. He looked down as he spoke, "I never asked you for help! And you didn't help me!" He looked back up at him, "Got it!? I was fine by myself. You're a Quirkless failure playing without a full deck! Don't think you can look down on me! Are you trying to make me owe you?!"**

**He leveled him a glare, "Don't you look down on me!" With that he turned on his heel and started to stomp away. "You damn nerd!"**

"That honestly seems on par for Cardin." Nora stated. All the students agreed with him. Along with Ozpin and Goodwitch, although more regrettably since they were hoping he'd move past that bravado of his in time.

**Jaune gave a slightly confused expression at his retreating form, 'What was that about?' He then cheered up slightly, "It's just as Cardin said. It's not like I did anything to help today." He looked down but this time with a smile, "At least I tired." He turned back around to go back home, "Now I can think of a realistic future…"**

**At that moment, a tall muscular man with sleeked back green hair emerged from the alley to his left. He was wearing a white t-shirt, brown pants and boots, "I am here!" he shouted as he did. **

**Jaune shouted in shock before he realized who it was, "A-all Might?! Why are you here?" He looked behind him, "You were surrounded by reporters until just now…"**

"Oh my Oum!" Ruby said excitedly. "He looks like the standard superhero. You know, without the costume."

**All Might started to laugh in a deep voice as he gave a two-fingered salute, "Getting away from them was a piece of cake. Why?" He started to flex, "Because I am All Might-" He was interrupted when he quickly deflated into a scrawnier man with unkempt green hair and coughing up a large amount of blood. Causing Jaune to scream in shock, yet again.**

He wasn't the only one shocked, "Doctor Oobleck!?" all the students, including Ren, shouted in shock.

"Bart?" Goodwitch asked with her eyebrow raised.

Ozpin just smiled and took another sip of his coffee, "He does want to prepare and protect the next generation. I could easily see him as a superhero."

"But what about all that blood?" Tai asked, worried for his friend and colleague, "That Is not normal."

**This new deflated man, or Bart Oobleck, coughed a few times and wiped the blood from his chin. He then spoke in the voice most knew was his own, "Young man. I came here to thank you and also discuss your question from earlier."**

**He was confused but didn't say anything as the Number One hero spoke, "If you hadn't told me about your life… If you hadn't run into that fight… I would've been a worthless bystander watching from the crowd. So, thanks." **

"What?" Ruby asked. "Why would a superhero not try to save the day? Especially the Number One Hero?"

"Years back, Oobleck got into his most difficult fight ever. A lot of his internal organs were damaged. Even now, he isn't fully recovered. So, he can only use his powers for about three hours each day. By that time, he was at his limit." Ruby looked at him in shock and he gave her a reluctant look, "Sometimes, heroes have to make sacrifices to save people." That made the poor girl think about her mother.

"**Oh no, it was my fault he was there in the first place." Jaune couldn't help but say, "I got in the way of your work and I wasted your energy and, not to mention, your time."**

"**I'm not done." Oobleck said. "You told me you didn't have a power. So seeing this timid, Quirkless boy try to save a life, it inspired me to act to." The young Arc had a shocked expression as he turned to fully face his hero. "There are stories about every hero. How they became great. Most have one thing in common: Their bodies moved before they had a chance to think, almost on their own."**

**With that, a flashback of Jaune running towards a sludge monster that was using Cardin as a hostage. Jaune's eyes widened before he looked down, his eyes beginning to tear up. He started to sniffle and Jaune's voice started to sound out from around them, like a voice over, "For some reason, I remembered my mother's words in that moment."**

**His mother's voice was heard, back when he was told he was Quirkless and his heart was broken as a child, "I'm sorry, Jaune. I wish things were different!" Jaune's hands gripped the front of his uniform tightly as he practically doubled over. His eyes swimming with tears. **

"Man, that just sucks." Yang said sadly. "Having your dream ripped away like that. Just…damn."

**Oobleck just watched him, "And today, that's what happened to you."**

**He closed his eyes as the tears fell, "Yeah…" He then thought to himself, 'You never told me, Mom.' An image of a four year old him crying with his mother holding him with just as many tears appeared. 'Back then, the thing I wanted you to say…' Jaune collapsed to his knees, 'The words I **_**needed**_** to hear…'**

**Oobleck was still looking down at him, with the sun setting behind him, "Young man, you too can become a hero."**

**He finally lost it and was crying openly. The words of everyone who ever told him he couldn't playing through his head. But, the normal sting that came from them were gone now. 'I needed someone to tell me that. And then, the person I admired most in the world did. Honestly, a part of me never thought I'd hear those words. Much less from him.'**

That made his friends smile for him. It was sad to see him so emotional but they were glad that his tears were coming from a more positive place. Didn't stop Pyrrha and Yang from wanting to hug the younger Jaune to make him feel better. But he was their crush after all.

**Oobleck held his hands out, "I deem you worthy of my power. My Quirk is yours to inherit." **

**Jaune slowly looked up with tears slowly going down his face, "Inherit you power?"**

"You can just inherit a superpower?" Weiss asked, not knowing the slightest when it came to superheroes.

Ruby thought seriously for a moment, "I mean, there are some cases of it happening in some comics. But it's really rare. And with how shocked this Jaune is, I guess it is just as rare, if not unheard of in this world."

Weiss just stared at her partner in shock before she shook her head, "If only you had this drive when you studied. Then maybe you wouldn't struggle so much."

She gasped at her partner, "The only class I struggle in is History and that is because of how fast Oobleck speaks and just how much homework he gives us!" Yang and Nora agreed with the younger leader, having similar issues. Pyrrha, Ren and Blake could also see her point but they didn't have as much trouble keeping up with the workload, so they kept quiet to not earn the reaper's ire.

**Oobleck started to laugh briefly, "What's with that face?" He started to walk closer to him, "Don't worry, I'm not going to force this thing on you." He stopped and pointed his finger into the air above his head, "Listen well, young man. You need to decide whether or not you will accept my power!" He pointed back down to him as more blood erupted from his mouth. **

**Jaune just kept looking up at him, 'W-what is All Might saying…?'**

**He wiped the blood from his mouth before he started again, "I'm talking about my power, young man. The tabloids called it 'superhuman strength' and a 'boost' and I constantly dodge the question during interviews with a funny joke. Because the Symbol of Peace, All Might, had to be a natural-born hero. But I'm not. There's nothing natural about my ability." Oobleck looked up to the sky with his arms apart, "I wasn't born with this power, it's a sacred torch that was passed on to me by someone else."**

"That sounds pretty amazing when put like that." Blake added her two cents. Meanwhile, all the adults, not including Winter, were all thinking how familiar that sounded to the four Maidens.

**That just floored Jaune, "It was passed on to you?"**

"**That's right." A gentle breeze pulled up Oobleck's shirt enough to show off the massive scar on the left side of his stomach, "And you're next. I can give you my abilities."**

"That's from that battle you mentioned before, isn't it?" Tai asked the Writer, who just nodded.

The scar was unsettling to most of the younger viewers. Especially when they thought about what the wound would've looked like and just how much damage had been done to Oobleck internally. Weiss specifically became hyper aware of her own scar and the fact she was lucky she didn't lose her eye when she got it.

**The fourteen year old threw his hand up in front of him, "W-wait! Wait a minute! It's true that your Quirk is something hotly debated as one of the world's greatest mysteries. So much so that not a day goes by when I don't see someone talking about it online. But I don't really understand what you mean by inheriting or passing on a Quirk…" With that he slowly started to just mutter to himself as he tried to wrap his head around all of this. **

**The hero just watched on until he spoke up, "It sounds like you're over thinking this whole inheriting thing. Stop nerding out!" That snapped the young man out of his funk, "You'll have to adjust your reality and accept this new truth!" He held his hand out in front of himself, "The power to transfer power, that is the Quirk I inherited!" A rainbow light started to shine form his hand, "I was crowned with 'One for All'!"**

"**One for All…" Jaune repeated.**

"**Yes. One person cultivates the power and passes it on to another person, who also cultivates it and passes it on. It is the crystallization of power that spins together the voices of those who need help with a courageous heart." Oobleck finished as he closed his hand.**

"Okay, now that sounds bad ass." Yang smirked. "Too bad something like that doesn't exist in our world, would help a lot against the Grimm."

That was when Ozpin inhaled his coffee and started to cough like crazy. The students turned to him in confusion as Glynda was patting his back to try to help him. Winter looked from the headmaster then to her General, who seemed more interested in fixing his one glove than returning her gaze. Eventually, they all shrugged and turned back to the screen.

"**Why are you…" Jaune started. "Why are you giving me something so great? What if I can't live up to it?"**

"That's the one thing I wish I could change about him." Pyrrha spoke up, sadly. "He never sees the good in himself, just the shortcomings."

"**I was on a long hunt for a worthy successor. And then I watched you jump into action as the rest of us stood idly by." Again, he thought back to when the young man charged in to save his old friend, "You may just be a Quirkless fanboy but you were more heroic than anyone else back there!"**

**Jaune couldn't help but tear up once again. Oobleck shook himself, "Never mind. Well, it's up to you though. What'll you do?"**

**His hand clenched before he quickly wiped the tears from his eyes. He stood up to look his hero in the eyes, "I'll do it!" **

**Oobleck couldn't help the grin from stretching across his face. "An immediate reply. That's what I thought you'd say!"**

**The screen shifted to a beach in the early morning. Jaune was in some sweats and a shirt as he was pulling on some ropes, trying to move a massive fridge. Trying and failing since Oobleck, in his All Might state, was sat on top of it. "This is such a comfy fridge to sit on!" Jaune then slipped and landed face first in the sand, "People move these things every day, you know? And most of them don't even have super strength."**

**Jaune rolled over to look up at the Symbol of Peace, "Well, yeah, there's an extra six hundred pounds with you sitting on it."**

"Yeah, that is definitely not helping him." Nora stated. "I mean, I could totally do that, even without my Semblance but Cute Boy Jaune is still squishy."

Everyone turned to the ginger in confusion, "Cute Boy Jaune?" Yang asked, there was a slight edge to her voice that everyone missed besides Blake. Who quickly poked her partner in the ribs.

Nora was oblivious and just nodded, "Yup. Look at him." She pointed to the screen, "You can't say he isn't cute in a 'younger brother' kinda way, can you?" Everyone looked at him on screen again and had to admit that the Valkyrie was right.

"**Nah, I've lost weight so I'm down to five-sixty these days." He responded nonchalantly. "In this form at least."**

"**Great, much better." Jaune said sarcastically before he started to look around, "Anyway, why am I dragging trash at the beach?"**

**All Might chuckled as he took a picture of Jaune on his phone, "It's because, you know, you're not a proper vessel for my power."**

**Jaune looked at him in shock, "But I thought you said I was worthy?!" He then fell into despair and screamed into the ground.**

"Man, this Jaune has less self esteem than our own." Ruby pointed out.

"You have to think of it like this: In this world, having a Quirk is the norm. Jaune is one of the few that doesn't. So, while your Jaune fells too ordinary compared to all of you. This Jaune feels _less_ than the norm." Phoenix explained. "That's where most of his insecurities come from and can you blame him for that?" No one answered or argued.

**All might started to walk towards him, "I'm talking about your **_**body**_**." That made him stop screaming and turn to him, "My Quirk, One for All, is a lot to handle. The combined physical abilities of everyone that's ever used it creates a hurricane of pure force. An unprepared body cannot inherit it fully. Your limbs would shoot off and your body would explode."**

"What?! He's joking, right?" Pyrrha asked in concern and fear. Phoenix's only answer was to shrug and that did not make her feel any better.

"**What!?" Jaune shouted in shock. He quickly wrapped his arms around himself before he shook his head to rid himself of that mental image. "Then… I'm picking up trash in order to train my body?"**

**All Might gave him a thumbs up, "Yes! But that's not all." He turned back around and started to walk back to the fridge, "After some research on the internet yesterday, I discovered that this part of the beach has been like this for many years." He tapped his knuckles against the fridge, leaving a big dent in it.**

**Jaune stood up and looked around at all the tons of garbage. "Yeah. Because of the ocean currents, anything that is dropped into the water drifts here and people take advantage of that to hide their illegal dumping. Now all the locals avoid this place." **

**All Might walked around until he was behind the same fridge, "Heroes these days are all after the showy stuff." He placed his hand on top of the fridge and started to crush it, purposefully slow. "Originally, being a hero meant doing volunteer service. Even if people called that boring or whatever. You can't waver from those roots. "**

**He finally crushed the fridge completely and the force of him doing so, knocked all the trash behind him into the air and out of sight. Giving Jaune a clear view of the beach and ocean with the rising sun just peeking over the horizon. "You will restore the horizon for this whole section! That is your first step toward becoming a hero!"**

**Jaune's eyes widened as he looked around at just how much junk he had to move, "My first step…? Is to clean all this?!" The camera pulled back to show off the junk from a higher angle. **

"That is a lot…" Ruby said lamely.

"And hear I thought Port was the extravagant one." Qrow chuckled as he ate some of his popcorn.

"The two are similar but different in that regard." Glynda sighed as he massaged her forehead. She was remembering some of the messes those two had created over the years.

"Meh, they just take their jobs seriously." Tai defended them as he sipped his drink.

**As he just stared on, All Might just grinned, "Young Jaune, you want to go to UA, right?"**

**He turned to his teacher, "Yes! Because its where you went!" He looked down and placed his hand over his chest before he clenched it into a fist, "So, If I'm going to go anywhere… I thought… it would definitely have to be UA…"**

"**You've got a lot of spirit, fanboy!" All Might said jovially and that made Jaune smile. The hero then turned to watch the sunrise, "But I've told you this before. Being a Hero is not something you can do without a Quirk. It's sad but that is what the reality is. And UA's is the hardest hero course to get into. In other words…"**

**Jaune caught on and started to jog over to his teacher, "In the ten months until UA's entrance exam, I have to prepare my body for your Quirk!" **

"Ten months?" Weiss asked, not really believing what she just heard.

"That's not nearly as long a time as it sounds." Blake agreed wither teammate.

**All Might turned around with a packet of paper between his fingers, "That's where this comes in!" He tapped the pages with the back of his other hand. "I came up with this: Aim to Pass: American Dream Plan! It's a training plan to help you finish cleaning up the beach. I'll have you follow this in every aspect of your life!" **

**Jaune started to flip through the pages, just stunned by how detailed it was, "Even my sleep is scheduled..."**

Nora deadpanned, "That is just insane." No one missed the irony there.

**All Might slid in beside him and whispered, "Frankly, this is a super hard schedule. Can you follow it?"**

**Jaune just kept looking at the pages, not entirely sure but he wasn't going to give up now. "Of course…I have to work many times harder than anyone else or else I can't do it!" All Might just nodded at his successors attitude and that's how his ten months of hell started.**

**A montage started to play for the viewers for convenience: Jaune was slowly pulling an old set of lockers, slinging a tire over his shoulder and running with it with Oobleck couching him on as he did. It then showed a tired Jaune sitting in class as he thought about how he could increase his efficiency of his training which was distracting the rest of the class.**

**Afterwards he was back at the beach where he started to push far larger tires across the sand and running. Late that night, he went to his mother to ask her to prepare something for dinner to help his workout. He stayed up late, studying, before he was back in the morning, pushing a large locked cabinet. Using some old weightlifting gear at the beach to do some reps, him doing many push-ups while back at home, leading to him looking dead tired in class again. It showed him eating more food, jogging late at night and working so hard at the beach, he actually vomited. **

**It then showed Jaune trying to push and old truck in the rain, him swimming laps in the ocean as All Might watched on before some women came over and he started to flex for them. Jaune at home doing reps with dumbbells, he was throwing more junk on a truck and at sunset, actually jogging with All Might on his shoulders. **

"Damn, that kid is dedicated." Qrow said as he sat a bit straighter.

"If there is one thing about Jaune that defines him, it's his determination." Yang told her uncle with a grin. Pyrrha gave the blonde a suspicious look before she shook her head, thinking she was looking too deeply into it.

**The montage ended and now showed Jaune jogging through a park with another piece of junk on his shoulders while Oobleck was riding in front of him on a Segway. As he was running, Jaune got lightheaded before he fell to the ground. Oobleck stopped before he turned back to him, "Hey, hey, what's wrong? There are only three months left! You wanna give up after all this work?!"**

**Jaune was still laying on the ground and was completely winded as Oobleck continued, "Wanna give up? Wanna take it easy?" With those words, he silently tried to drag himself across the ground. That made Oobleck confused, "You're overwork…? The Aim to Pass: American Dream Plan was adjusted with your body in mind to make sure you'd make it in time for the entrance exam…" His eyes widened in realization, "You haven't been sticking to the plan, have you? Overdoing it will have the opposite effect! Don't you want to get in?"**

"That's reckless of him." Winter said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Doing that may just sabotage his efforts."

**Jaune's fists clenched as he spoke up, "I have to work harder… or I won't stand a chance against the other applicants…" That shocked the hero as the young student was trying to push himself back up. "I don't just want to get into UA… I want to excel…" He was slowly but surely rising, "I want to be like you." He looked up to his hero, tears in his eyes again but an unshakeable determination in them, "I want to become the greatest hero, like you!"**

**Oobleck's eyes widened further as he remembered his first conversation with the young man in front of him, "Saving people with a fearless smile. Like you…!"**

That made all seven students smile. Nora turned around and stuck her tongue at Winter, "Take that, Ice Queen!"

Winter looked absolutely flabbergasted by that while Weiss hid her face in her hands in mortification. Meanwhile, Qrow was holding his stomach as he laughed like there was no tomorrow.

**He just kept looking at his successor, 'He's looking that far into the future, huh?' He quickly shifted to his hero form and picked Jaune up by the back of his shirt, "That fighting spirit is what I like about you, fanboy! It serves you well! But if that's the case, then you really can't rush things now. But I understand your feelings. Leave it to this old man to adjust your plan!"**

"**You're not old.. All Might…" Jaune said tiredly and that caused the hero to laugh.**

**It was the day of the entrance exam, six in the morning to be precise. Oobleck was bundled up in a coat and scarf as he stepped out of the truck they used to move the junk from the beach. As he was making his way down to it, he looked up in shock as he heard Jaune screaming. **

Everyone was on edge now, thinking something had to have happened to the young hero.

**The camera panned to show all the junk had been stacked into on giant pile and Jaune was standing on top screaming in victory. **

**Oobleck ran over and was shocked by the clean beach in front of him, "He even cleaned outside of where I told him to! There's not even a speck of dust left! Seriously?" He was shaking in excitement, "Only a few minutes to spare but you exceeded my expectations! Oh my… oh my…" He shifted into his hero form, "Goodness!"**

"Way to go, Jaune!" Ruby cheered.

"Cute Boy Jaune is amazing!" Nora added. Ren just smiled and nodded beside her.

**Jaune wobbled on top of the junk pile before he fell off. Luckily, All Might rushed over to catch him before he landed on the beach. "Excellent work." He said with pride.**

**Jaune looked up tiredly with his own smile, "All Might…I did it… I did it!"**

"**Yeah, you did good, kid. I gotta say, I'm impressed." He then placed him back on his feet, "I knew you had it in you but this is beyond!" He held his phone up to him, "Here, take a look."**

**Jaune looked and saw the picture All Might took of him at the beginning of his training, "This is…"**

"**It's you, ten months ago." The screen then started to reveal more of the shirtless Jaune to them all, showing off his well-muscled form. "Look how far you've come! Such an improvement!"**

"Whoa, I'll say…" Yang said with a smile and a blush.

"I'll say." Pyrrha added with the same smile and blush.

Most of the women were impressed by the amount of muscles he now had. The men were also impressed but for a different reason. Tai was the one to bring it up, "He did that in ten months? And he's only fourteen? Amazing."

Phoenix spoke up, "Fifteen now." That made most of the women remember how young he was. Although, the students could argue about the age difference since it was only two years. Phoenix smirked before he spoke again, "Although, that does mean he is Ruby's age."

That made Ruby look at the Writer in shock before she looked back to the paused screen. He cheeks then turned as red as her namesake, both of them. She then looked down, 'Me and Jaune? That's crazy! He's my best friend and that would be weird, right? Right?'

"**There is still a long road until you can inherit my full power! But it's starting to look like you can do it!" The hero said with the mountain of junk behind him.**

**Jaune shakily raised his right hand, "All Might… Do I deserve this? Are you sure?" That confused the Number One Hero, "You did all this for me… How did I end up so lucky…?" He said as happy tears gathered in his eyes. **

**All Might chuckled, 'What're you saying after all this time… It was your own hard work.' He then patted his successor's back, "We'll have to fix those leaky eyes of yours. Now, it's time for the award ceremony, Jaune Arc!"**

"**Yes sir!" he said excitedly.**

**Oobleck reached up and plucked a long strand of his green hair, "This is something I was once told: Something that you receive because you're lucky and something that you are given because you are recognized are different in essence. Take that to heart." Jaune just looked up to his hero as he continued, "This is power that you earned because of your own effort."**

**Jaune just kept staring at him until he narrowed them in determination and his fist clenched. Oobleck, still in his hero form, held the hair out to him, "Eat this." He said simply. **

**Jaune just looked at him in confusion, "Huh?"**

"What?" everyone in the theater asked at the same time.

"The next inheritor of One for All needs to ingest the DNA of the previous host for it to transfer to them." Explained Phoenix. That got a disgusted look from most of the viewers. The Writer just shrugged, "It's better than blood or the many other ways it could happen." That made few of the more squeamish ones feel nauseous at that thought.

**It was later in the same morning and Jaune was now walking towards the entrance to UA to take his exam with many other aspiring students. 'In the end, I didn't have time to test out the power I received from All Might." He then covered his mouth in slight disgust, "I swallowed the hair but did I really receive his power…?"**

"**Outta my way, Deku!" Jaune turned around to see Cardin walking towards him. "Don't stand in front of me. I'll kill you."**

"Looks like ten months wasn't enough to make him any more likeable." Blake pointed out.

"I doubt ten _years_ would be enough time for that." Weiss huffed.

**He quickly stepped to the side, "M-morning. L-let's both do our best…" As his old friend passed he thought to himself, 'Cardin hasn't done anything to me since that day. I was just scared of him out of habit.' He sighed to himself. **

**He shook his head, 'I'm different from before!' He then looked up to UA's insignia on the arch. 'Remember these past ten months! Take the first step… to being a hero." He had a determined smile on his face as he walked towards the entrance again. That is when he tripped over his own feet and was headed straight for the concrete. 'Or I'll just die!'**

That made a few of his friends laugh. It was such a Jaune thing to do, "Of course he would trip." Ruby said from her giggles. "Big dork."

**Strangely, he never hit the ground. When he realized that, he saw that he was actually floating. He heard a giggle and turned to see a girl his age with black hair that went to red at the tips with silver eyes standing with her hand on his backpack. "Are you alright?" she asked with a smile.**

**She helped him to his feet before she placed her hands together, "It's my Quirk. Sorry for using it without asking first." She said with the smile still on her face. "But it'd be bad luck if you fell, right?" Jaune couldn't help but stare at her and she continued, "Aren't you nervous?" **

Ruby blinked in shock, "That is what happened our first day. Well, except Jaune was the one to help me."

"**Uh…" Was all Jaune could nervously get out.**

"**Let's do our best. See ya!" Ruby said before she ran off towards the entrance. **

**Jaune just watched her go, still in shock. That was until he cheered internally, 'I talked to a girl!'**

**The screen jumped forward to show that Jaune was standing outside a small fake city with several other potential students all in workout or exercise gear. 'I-it's time to do it. It's time to give everything I got from my training with All Might these past ten months.' He thought to himself as he was shaking nervously. 'I will become… the hero I always dreamed of being!' With that thought, he slapped both his cheeks to get his mind right.**

"To quickly summarize this test: The Applicants have ten minutes to destroy as many faux villains in their designated zone. They can be worth one-to-three points. They _cannot _attack or sabotage any other applicants." Phoenix explained. Making them all nod and given the teachers an ideas for future tests for their own students.

**He started to look around at all the other applicants, 'How can everyone be so confident? Aren't they nervous? Some even have equipment to go with their Quirks…' His eyes eventually landed on Ruby, who was more towards the middle of the group, 'Oh, hey, it's the nice girl I met at the school gates! She was assigned to the same battle center, huh?' **

**He stiffly and nervously started to walk towards her, 'I should probably thank her for helping me out back there.' Before he could get far, he felt a hand land on his shoulder. He turned around to see a young man with long black hair and magenta eyes, who was giving him a stern look. 'He's here too?'**

"I'm there too?" Ren asked with a raised eyebrow. "How does Jaune know me?"

"You kinda chewed him out for muttering during the orientation earlier." Phoenix supplied.

Nora looked at Ren in shock, "Ren, how could you do that to Cute Boy Jaune?"

"In his defense, Ren is more of a tight ass here." Phoenix tried to defend him. "He gets better as time goes on and loosens up a bit. But right now he is very serious."

"**She looks like she's trying to focus on the trials ahead." Ren told him. "What are you going to do? Distract her and ruin her chances to succeed?"**

**Jaune pulled away and started to wave his hands in front of himself, "N-n-no, of course not…" He notice that everyone else was looking at him with a very similar look he got in his old school. He looked down slightly, 'Why do I feel like everyone's already written me off…?'**

**Right after that, Port announced that the test had begun. No countdown or anything. As Jaune looked up in confusion, everyone else had already ran in and he had to quickly catch up. "I'm already behind!" **

"You can do it, Cute Boy Jaune!" Nora cheered.

"Nora, he can't hear you." Ren told her.

"I know that." Nora waved it off. "But he's still our Fearless Leader and we have to support him." Ren gave up on trying to stop her, there and then.

**As he was running to catch up to the other applicants, one of the test robots crashed through the building in front of him. It quickly set its sights on him and charged. 'Whoa, gotta dodge him!' His body refused to move however, 'Why can't I move?' It was just about to crush him and he couldn't help but close his eyes.**

"Don't freeze up!" Ruby shouted.

"Not you too, Ruby." Weiss said with a sigh.

**Luckily, a blinding light blasted right through it and a voice said, "Thanks for distracting it." **

**Jaune turned to see what had happened. His eyes landed on a guy with red hair that covered half his face and a belt around his stomach with a massive lens in the middle. "A laser?"**

Yang raised an eyebrow, "Isn't that one of Sun's teammates?" she asked as she turned to her partner.

Blake nodded, "Yes. His name is Scarlet David."

"**Merci. We make a great team! But I don't think we'll meet again!" said Scarlet. He winked and gave a two fingered salute before he ran down another street.**

"**Six minutes and two seconds left!" Port's voice announced to all the applicants. **

**That got Jaune to focus and take off again to find more of the robots. He rushed into an area that most of the applicants were at and many already destroyed robots. He saw Ruby touch four robots quickly and they started to float into the air. She then placed her hands together, "Release!" she shouted and they plummeted to the ground and broke. She looked over her shoulder at them as she tried to catch her breath, "That should be at least twenty-eight points…" she said to herself before she ran off again. **

Yang squeezed her sister's shoulder, "Good work, Rubes."

**He then saw Ren fly through the air with the use of some metal tubes sticking out of his legs. He slammed both his feet into a robot at high speeds he was going at, destroying it. "That puts me at forty-five points!"**

"Great job, grumpy Ren!" Nora cheered and causing Ren to sigh. Pyrrha just giggled at her teammates.

**Jaune just stood there in shock as more and more robots were being dismantled. Soon his panic started to take hold, 'The number of enemies is decreasing fast! Oh no!'**

**That was when a number of explosions went off in the middle of the test sight. Many of the applicants stopped what they were doing to see just what was going on. They all looked in shock or terror at the robot that had appeared. It was twice the size of any buildings nearby and was looking down at them, ready to fight. 'Isn't this a little extreme!?' Jaune thought to himself as panic and fear took over him.**

"What are the teachers thinking?!" Pyrrha shouted.

"I have no idea." Ozpin said as he stared at the screen, "I wouldn't ever allow something like this to happen during an exam."

Ruby turned to the headmaster, "What about those two Grimm we fought during our Initiation?" she asked.

Ozpin looked at her, "If you were in over your heads, Miss Rose, some of the teachers we had posted would've intervened. But you eight didn't need their help." He said with a smile as he drank more coffee from his mug.

**It punched the ground and the impact displaced so much dust and air that it nearly knocked some of them off their feet. That caused many of the applicants to run away from it and Jaune stumbled backwards as he just stared at the robot. Oobleck's voice started to come from it as another voice over, "Now things get interesting. A person's true character is revealed when they are faced with danger." As Ren was running by, his eyes landed on Jaune for only a second before he kept going. **

**Jaune managed to get some sense back and tried to crawl away, 'This is a disaster! I have to run and find some smaller villains! Crap! I'm still at zero points!'**

"**Less than two minutes left!" Port announced again.**

"**Two minutes!?" Jaune shouted out loud before he started to think of all the work he put in with All Might. 'Everything All Might did for me. All that training… will be wasted!'**

"**Ow!" a familiar voice shouted behind him. He stopped and turned around, seeing Ruby had her leg trapped under some debris. He just stared wide eyed at her as the robot kept making its way to her. **

"Ruby!" Yang and Tai shouted in unison. Qrow had a tighter grip on his armrests as he sat forward.

**Before he knew it, he was back on his feet and running towards it. **

"Jaune!" Ruby and Pyrrha shouted.

"What is he doing?!" Ironwood shouted. Taking on something like that would be suicide for someone at his skill level.

Phoenix smirked, "Being a hero."

"**There are no combat points awarded for taking on that humongous villain." Oobleck's voice over came back. Jaune can into the dust cloud. "But there is opportunity…" An X-ray on Jaune's legs revealed many glowing red, energy like veins covering them. "…a chance to shine…" Jaune disappeared and rocketed out of the dust cloud. Ruby looked into the air, stunned by what she was seeing. "…to show what you're really made of."**

**Jaune clenched his right fist and those same veins appeared on his hand. He pulled his arm back and his sleeve was torn to pieces revealing that the veins went all the way up his arm as he was grunting in exertion from the raw power. He flew through the gap between the robot's fingers as he got closer to the head. He remembered All Might's instruction in that moment, 'So clench your butt cheeks, kid…' Jaune had his teeth grit as his own voice started to overlap with his teacher's, '…and yell this from the depths of your heart-' **

'**Smash!' Jaune screamed mentally as he slammed his fist into the robot's face, leaving a massive indent and pushing it back. It started to topple over and caused several explosions from the head. Ruby was staring up in awe along with Ren and many other applicants.**

"Holy crap!" Yang shouted. "Did you see that!?" Everyone nodded dumbly at the display of raw power.

**The screen showed Oobleck in the same room with the teacher with a more humanoid looking Zwei sitting next to him. He grinned, "That's right. Show who you are, embody what it means to be a hero…" It cut back to more explosions running down its back and completely destroying the robot. Oobleck grin widened, "Nothing is nobler than self-sacrifice!" **

"Wait, what did he mean by self-sacrifice?" Ruby asked in concern for her friend. No one commented on the light blush on her cheeks; She got that after the realization that he had just saved her like a real superhero would.

**Jaune was in the air with his right arm looking severely burned and his legs just flying in the breeze. He was still just stunned on what he had just done. 'This is… kinda like when I tried to save Cardin. I moved without thinking. But now I have a Quirk, a real power!'**

"**Just one minute left!" announced Port again. **

**That brought Jaune back to reality as he was plummeting back down to Earth. He had a panicked expression with that, 'Okay, I jumped using One for All, so maybe I can use it to get down too! Just like All Might!' That's when the pain registered in his legs and arm, which were now completely shattered. As he held his one arm as he screamed in pain.**

"They're broken?" Pyrrha asked but no one answered since the answer was obvious.

**Oobleck's voice started to go through his head, 'You may have molded your body into a proper vessel but you did it in a hurry. So be cautious. The physical backlash of One for All can be intense.'**

'**He warned me! I should've listened!' Jaune degraded himself. 'I can barely contain this borrowed power, even after ten months of training.' An image of a glass filled to the brim with water appeared. It vibrated slightly before a massive crack covered the front of it. 'And this is only a small portion of his power. I got way ahead of myself attacking that giant villain! I'm acting like a pro when I don't even have enough skill to be a sidekick!'**

**He looked back down to the quickly incoming ground, 'No! This isn't over! There's got to be **_**something**_** I can do!' That's when he remembered one of All Might's Special attacks: Detroit Smash. 'It's the only chance I have to survive…! Both my legs and my right arm are broken. I only have my left arm! And the timing-' He swallowed, 'If I'm too early or too late, I'll die! Even if I succeed, I still won't have any points!' He pulled his unbroken arm back, 'If I break my left arm too, there's no way I'll pass the exam!'**

"Your life is more important than an exam!" Weiss shouted at him, not caring that he could hear her or not.

**Jaune was just screaming as the ground was getting closer and closer. Trying to predict when exactly to throw his punch. That was when he was slapped right across the face by Ruby floating on a piece of one of the many robots. He went flying to the side a few feet before he hovered right above the pavement, much to his shock. **

Everyone gave a sigh of relief. Pyrrha turned to Ruby, "Thank you for saving my partner, Ruby."

Yang nodded, "Yeah. Good work, Rubes."

**She slowly brought her hands together, "Release…" With that, her Quirk was dismissed and the robot part and Jaune felt to the ground. She was about to sigh but stopped to throw her hands over her mouth. The camera moved just as she started to vomit, which was giving off a rainbow light and sparkles. **

"Did I just puke up a rainbow?" Ruby asked in morbid curiosity.

Phoenix nodded, "If you overuse your Quirk, it can happen."

"Ewww." Ruby and Weiss said in sync.

Yang couldn't help but chuckle, "Does that make you Vomit Girl now?"

"Yang, no!" Ruby whined at her older sister.

'**I'm alive.' Jaune thought while on the ground. He slowly looked up, 'That girl, she stopped my fall again…' He saw that Ruby was laying on top of the machine, looking exhausted, 'Is she all right? She looks uninjured, at least…? That's a relief…' **

**He slammed his hand back down onto the pavement, 'And now…thanks to her!' He started to desperately pull himself across the ground with his unbroken arm. "If I can just get one point…"**

"**Times up!" Port shouted, ending the test. Hearing that, Jaune just let himself crumple to the ground and allowing unconsciousness to take him. **

"That sucks." Nora said sadly. "Cute Boy Jaune didn't get any points."

Pyrrha nodded, "But he saved Ruby. He should be proud of that."

Ruby looked down feeling slightly guilty that it was because of her other self that Jaune pretty much failed.

**It was a week later and Jaune was back home with his mother. He was currently looking down at his dinner blankly. "Jaune?" He snapped out of it and looked up to his mother, "Hey, are you all right? Why are you looking at your dinner like that?"**

"Wait, if it's been a week, how did he recover so quickly." Blake asked.

"UA's nurse has a Quirk that accelerates a person's healing capabilities. She was able to take months off his recovery after he passed out." Phoenix answered her.

"That explains why UA could have such...risky tests then." Ozpin understood now.

"**Oh, sorry! I'm fine!" he said before eating his meal. After they were done eating, he was sitting on his couch with that same blank look on his face, 'From self-scoring, I know that I just passed the written exam. But that was cancelled out by the zero in the practical exam. And ever since the entrance exam, I hadn't been able to contact All Might." He looked down and sighed.**

"**The results should arrive today or tomorrow, right?" his mother asked from behind him. **

"**Yeah…" he responded weakly.**

"**Jeez, I think it's amazing that you even applied to UA!"**

"**Yeah…"**

"He seems so broken…" Yang stated.

"His dream just crumbled in front of him. How would you feel?" Weiss asked rhetorically.

**Seeing how her son was out of it, Alexandra went to the door to go check the mail. Leaving Jaune with his thoughts, 'I didn't even tell my mother about All Might or his secret. I want him to continue being the Symbol of Peace for everybody, the Number One Hero. Besides, he trusted me… so I'll keep my mouth shut.'**

**He put down his phone and picked up his dumbbell to do some reps. 'All Might! Somehow, someway, you saw potential in me… but I failed! I let us both down so much. I'm sorry. But I'll keep trying…'**

**The door was flung open and Alexandra came running in, "Jaune!" She stopped in front of him and held out an envelope, "It's here! It came!" **

**Jaune nervously took it from her and went to his room to see what it held. His mother was pacing outside of his room, hoping for the best. Jaune sat down at his desk and placed it in front of him. He just stared at it for a bit before he grabbed it and ripped it open, dropping a metal disk onto his desk. It started to glow and projected a screen, with All Might's face on it, "I am here as a projection!"**

"**All Might!?" Jaune said in shock. "Wait, this is from UA, right?" he asked as he kept looking between the envelop in his hands and the projection. **

**It now showed All Might in a green suit, "I know it's been a while but with great power comes a great amount of paperwork." He cleared his throat and bowed his head, "My apologies, young man. Truthfully, I didn't come to this town just to fight villains. You are looking at UA's newest faculty member!" **

Ozpin took another sip of his coffee, "That explains why he was allowed to watch the exam."

**He sat forward in his seat, "You're working at UA?"**

**He nodded, "Now onto business. Even though you passed the written exam, you got zero points on the practical exam. I'm sorry…"**

"**I know that." Jaune looked down, "Of course I know…" He started to shake in his chair, "It's all I've thought about…" His hands gripped his pants tightly, '…I'm a failure!'**

"Oh, Jaune." Pyrrha sighed. "I hate seeing him like this. And we've seen him like this in every universe so far."

"Yeah! I thought you said this one was better?!" Nora asked in annoyance

Phoenix just brought a finger up to his lips, "Shhhh. Watch." He motioned to the screen.

"**Fortunately there were other factors." All Might finished. Jaune slowly looked back up, "But before we get to that, I have another surprise! First take a look at this video." He turned to a screen to his right and another video played. **

**It showed Ruby walking up to Port, "Um, do you have a sec? Sorry to interrupt…" she spoke up nervously. **

**Jaune just looked on, confused. "It's that nice girl."**

"Is he going to keep calling me that?" Ruby asked.

"To be fair, he doesn't know you name yet." Blake pointed out.

"**She came to negotiate directly in person after the exam!" All Might explained. "Negotiate what? Keep watching to find out!"**

**The video resumed, "Um, the tall guy with the blonde hair… Do you know who I'm talking about? Um… kinda plain-looking…"**

'**She means me!' Jaune thought to himself.**

"Wow, Rubes, couldn't have been any nicer with that description?" Yang asked.

"I didn't do it!" Ruby said in annoyance. "Besides, it's a lot better than what Weiss called him."

"Hey!" she defended. "Why am I being dragged into this?"

"Should we be concerned that he knew instantly she was talking about himself with that description?" Blake asked.

"**Is it possible for me to give him some of my points?" Ruby asked and shocking Jaune, "I heard him say, 'If I can just get one point,' so I thought maybe he was still at zero points…" A memory of Cardin belittling him came to Jaune's mind. **

"**At least the points he lost because of me…" Another of a Pro Hero reprimanding him for trying to save Cardin. **

"**He saved me!" Jaune's eyes widened and he slowly stood up, "I have to make it up to him!"**

Everyone just smiled at that Ruby and everyone that knew the girl knew she would do the same in their own world. Yang gently ruffled her sister's hair and Ruby didn't fight it, which was a rare occurrence.

**All Might was still facing the other screen, "You have a Quirk now, yes. But it's your actions that inspires others." Jaune looked down with a small smile. The Symbol of Peace turned back to his successor, "The entrance exam the other day was not graded only on villain points!"**

**Jaune looked back up in shock and the video continued. Port was answering her question, "Even if you ask to, you cannot give him your points." He gently patted her head, "Anyway, there's no reason to give him any, young lady." **

"What are they talking about?" Pyrrha asked.

**The video stopped and Oobleck stood in front of the screen, still in hero form, "How can a hero course reject someone who is committed to saving others no matter the consequences to himself? After all, that is what makes a hero. And that is what my old school is all about: training those who would risk their lives for the greater good!" Jaune was just stunned by what he was hearing and he was slowly gaining hope. "So we have Rescue points! And they're given by a panel of judges for heroic acts that go beyond just fighting villains! Jaune Arc, sixty points!" Jaune was just floored. "And Ruby Rose, forty-five points!"**

"**You both pass!" Oobleck finished.**

"He did it!" Ruby and Nora cheered happily. While all the other's just smiled as well, happy to see that Jaune had made it.

**Jaune was still just staring as his eyes started to water, "Is this some kind of joke…?"**

"**Welcome, Young Jaune!" he said as he extended his hand. Jaune was just smiling with tears in his eyes. "This is your hero academia!"**

**Jaune gained a determined expression and nodded, "Yes sir!" He then quickly started to wipe away his unshed tears. "It took a lot of help, but my life has changed completely. And now, I'm enrolling in the high school of my dreams!"**

With that the screen died down. Phoenix smiled, "So, what did you all think?" Phoenix asked.

"That was awesome!" Nora shouted.

"Yeah!" Ruby agreed. "Can we see more?!"

Phoenix chuckled, "Sure. I don't see why we can't give it another look. Maybe two or three more times. But later on." He stood up and cracked his back. "For now, I need to meet up with a good friend and fellow Writer about something."

Everyone wasn't expecting that, "Is something wrong?" Ozpin asked.

The Writer shook his head, "Nope. We just have a prior engagement I need to keep. It shouldn't be too long for you all. Maybe an hour at most. So, you have free reign of the manor. Just don't break anything, please." And with one last grin, Phoenix disappeared in a flurry or orange fire.

* * *

**A/N- Here is the next one! This took a lot longer since I had to go through multiple episodes but I think it came out well. Now for the next chapter, I'm not sure when I'll be able to get to doing it but it probably won't be for another month or so. Just giving you all a fair warning and you don't think I've given up on this story. Honestly, it's a lot of work but it's too fun to do. To wrap this up, Jauneforever was the Beta reader for this chapter so go check him out. Trust me, you won't regret it. With that, I hope to see you all in the next update!**


	7. Seven Special Lessons

**Source Material: Trinity Seven- Ova**

* * *

The inhabitants of Remnant were using their hour without their host to explore more of the Phoenix Roost. It beat waiting in the viewing room until Phoenix would reappear. Although, it felt like an hour to them but outside of this pocket dimension, it had actually been closer to two months. But then again, time was one of many factors in flux when the Multiverse was involved. But they didn't have to worry about such things.

Yang, Nora and Pyrrha elected to go back to the gym, all now interested in the 'gravity simulator' that their host had mentioned prior. Winter had elected to taking Weiss to the sparring room to help her sister train her Summoning, much to the heiress' excitement. Blake, Ren, Ozpin and Goodwitch had found the library and were looking through the countless shelves of books. They were books from all across the Multiverse but they weren't the variety that Phoenix inscribed universes into, those were safely hidden in his study. Leaving Ruby, Taiyang, Qrow and Ironwood to explore the manor to its fullest.

Ruby had split off from the adults a few minutes prior though. Her uncle started to annoy the General and the two devolved into an argument. Her dad tried to play mediator and the young reaper elected to not get involved in it. As she was walking down one of the many hallways, she stopped when she came across a solid metal door. That confused her since every door they had found so far was wood. Her curiosity won out and the young leader tried to open the door, finding it to be unlocked.

As the door swung open, her eyes went as wide as they could and she gasped at the sight in front of her. A forge. The entire room was made of stone, from ceiling to floor. Equipped with many kinds of forges against the far wall with anvils set in front of each one. The right wall was filled with every tool a blacksmith could ever want, hammers, tongs, chisels, punches and many more. On the left side was another metal door, she went over to it and opened it to see it was a storeroom that was filled with ores and metals of all varieties. Along with different woods, leather and materials for hilts and sheathes. She slowly backed away and looked around the room in awe, "This is perfect!" she said in excitement.

"Well, thank you for the compliment." Said a voice from behind her. Ruby screamed in shock and jumped backwards. She turned around while reaching for Crescent Rose, which she remembered she didn't have her sweetheart on her. She then heard chuckling and looked up to see Phoenix standing by the entrance with a small but apologetic smile, "Sorry for scaring you. That wasn't my intent."

She just took a deep breath before she spoke, "It's alright. I just didn't expect you to be there." She started to scratch the back of her head, "I also was kind of shocked that you had a forge here."

He nodded and walked further into the room, "Yes, well, I don't really fight often but I like to be prepared for many situations. So, I created this space to forge weapons and armor to help with that."

Ruby tilted her head slightly, "Can't you just create weapons and armor from nothing? So, why have a forge?"

"Oh, I certainly can but it technically wouldn't be from nothing. But I digress. You see, any weapon I 'magically' create would be mundane and lack any of my natural power. If I were to use those in an actual fight, they would break very easily and would be a waste." He then looked down at the reaper, "But if I forge them, then I can instill my power into them through the forging process and making a weapon us Writers can use efficiently."

Ruby took a second before nodding, "That makes sense. So, does that mean you could make weapons for us!?" She looked up at him with shining eyes and her fists tucked under her chin as she looked up at the Writer.

He shook his head, "Sorry, no." That made the girl deflate. "Giving regular people that caliber of weapons would be a danger. Not only to them but the world around them."

The leader just pouted before she looked back up, "So, why are you here?"

The Writer just smirked before he reached into his hoodie's pocket and pulled out a strange piece of metal. It started off by looking like a chunk of gold but before their eyes, a purplish tint spread around it and the metal then looked like a piece of amethyst. Before Ruby could ask, a goldish tint covered the gem and it was back to being a gold colored metal.

Ruby just looked from it to the Writer, "This is Viennkhor, or as some call it Khorvienn, it is a special material known as Gem-Metal. It's found only in my good friend and fellow Writer's world. The very one I went to go see: Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh." He then walked past the reaper towards one of the forges.

Ruby walked right behind him, "You're going to forge something using it."

He looked back at her with a small smile, "Your half right." He turned back to the cold forge and placed the Gem-Metal into it. He then raised his right hand and orange flamed fireball materialized in his open palm. When the flames died down, in his palm was now a chunk of black ore with silver 'veins' of metal running through it. "This is a metal of my own discovery, Omnisium. It's a metal that when processed, can help amplify the properties of whatever material it is bonded to."

He placed the ore right next to the Gem-Metal before his raised his left hand and violet fire erupted from it. He threw the fireball into the forge and it grew to encompass both materials. "What did you just do?!" Ruby asked in excitement.

"I'm using one of my special types of fire to help further the binding process." He said simply and the girl just tilted her head at him. He chuckled, "You've seen me use this fire before but to explain it, it allows me to transmute anything the flames come in contact with. Or simply put, I can change anything into anything else. So, while we are watching the next universe or two, these flames will be bonding these two materials at a molecular level and forming something altogether new."

Ruby just stared at the fire and the Writer with wide eyes, shining with wonder, "Can I watch you forge it when you do?" she asked.

Phoenix scratched his chin as he thought about it, "I don't see why not."

"Yay!" she cheered as she threw her arms into the air.

He just chuckled, "Well, let's get back to the viewing room. We should get back to actually seeing these worlds I have in mind." As the two were walking back, Phoenix used his abilities to have his voice sound out through the manor, similar to a speaker, to tell the rest of the viewers it was time to reconvene.

It took a the better part of twenty minutes for the thirteen guests to get back to the viewing room, get their concessions and retake their seats. Phoenix got himself his usual coffee before sitting down in his standalone chair and looking through his red, leather bound book to find the world he had in mind next. A devious grin stretching across his lips as he did.

"Well, if you are all ready, we can get started on this next universe." He looked up and got a series of nods. "This world is different than the others because magic is a fundamental part of it." That gained him a few shocked looks from everyone, especially the adults. "In this world, Jaune lived a normal life with his cousin and childhood friend, Emerald Sustrai."

That earned them a few confused looks, "Emerald?" Yang asked. "You mean the transfer student from Haven?"

Phoenix nodded, "Yup. Now, one day, a massive magical tragedy called a Breakdown Phenomenon destroyed his entire town." That earned him many shocked or horrified looks. "He was saved when Emerald placed a grimoire, or spell book, around his neck as she disappeared. She vanished but in his grief, he unknowingly used the magic of the book to artificially reconstructing his normal live."

"That's horrible…" Ruby said quietly.

"It is." Phoenix agreed. "But because of that, that allowed him to run into a very powerful mage, Pyrrha Nikos." Everyone turned to stare at Pyrrha while she just stared at the Writer. "You make him remember what had happened and break the spell. And after learning the truth, Jaune decides that his only option is to become a mage himself so he can rescue Emerald. With Pyrrha's help, he enrolls in Royal Biblia Academy, a secret school for mages." He grinned more, "And that is enough for now. The world should explain the rest." A fireball arose from his open book and flew into the screen bringing it to life.

**The world opened up to show Royal Biblia Academy from the sky as the setting sun illuminated it. The screen transitioned to inside one of the numerous classrooms inside with Jaune sitting in the front bench and Pyrrha in front of the classroom.**

"What's Pyrrha doing in the front?" Ruby asked in curiosity.

"Pyrrha is a teacher, that's why." Phoenix answered easily.

"How old is she?" Weiss asked, wondering if that may've changed with this world.

"Same age she is now and the rest of you. She is a prodigy in this world and after mastering her own magic, decided to help others with their own studies by becoming a teacher." The teachers and Pyrrha felt pride at her other self. Honestly, Pyrrha kind of liked the idea of one day after retiring as a Huntress and helping to teach a younger generation.

**Jaune stretched his arms above his head with a groan before he lowered them and massaged his one shoulder, "Today was really tiring." **

**Pyrrha just smiled at him before the door opened and Glynda walked in. "Excuse me, Jaune Arc?"**

"**Yes?" Jaune asked.**

**Glynda reached up and pushed her glasses back into place, "Because of your current grades you will be expelled. So please come to the school office as soon as possible." Jaune and Pyrrha both stared at her until both shouted, "What?!"**

"What?!" parroted all the students in the room.

"That is indeed a difference." Goodwitch spoke up while crossing her arms. "Mr. Arc may not be the best student we have but his grades are just above acceptable. There would be no way that he would be expelled for that."

"We can thank Pyrrha for that!" Nora said happily. "Jaune can get kinda lazy but she whips our Fearless Leader back into shape." That made Pyrrha smile.

**The screen transitioned again to showing the principal's office. Glynda was standing to the left of the desk while the Principle, Qrow Branwen, was sat behind it with his fingers linked together, "As you can tell, it's a serious situation." The screen turned to show Jaune, Pyrrha and, surprisingly, Penny standing on the other side of the desk.**

Everyone than heard Goodwitch sigh while massaging her forehead, "Why am I working for Qrow?"

"Qrow is a vastly powerful mage in this world, which is why he holds the position as this school's principle." Phoenix informed her. "He doesn't have his drinking problem but he is still quite the skirt chaser." He ended with a smirk.

Goodwitch just sighed in exasperation while Qrow just had a smirk similar to the Writer's. That version of him had it made, he could annoy Glynda as much as he wanted and she could do squat to stop him since he is her boss.

**Pyrrha stepped forward slightly, "Jaune is being e-expelled, why? He has been studying hard lately and he resolved the Breakdown Phenomenon. I can't accept expelling a student like that."**

**Goodwitch was the one to speak up, "That may be the case, but he still has no comprehension of the Archives. Even after spending time with all of you in the Trinity Seven."**

"What are these Archives? And what is the Trinity Seven?" Winter was the one to ask.

"Here, all magic is divided into seven different categories, known as the Archives. I would explain more but this world will do a well enough job without me doing so. The Trinity Seven are seven powerful mages that each have mastered one of these Archives, with Pyrrha being one of them."

"Damn, Pyrrha." Yang looked down the row of seats and at the Champion, "Overachieving much?" she teased and making her blush slightly.

**Pyrrha just looked at her for a bit before deflating, "That's true…"**

"**Jaune's magic can imitate that of other Archives, if he doesn't understand that, it'll be dangerous." Qrow told them all seriously.**

**Jaune just closed his eyes, "Yeah, and even if you tell me 'The Archives are the Seven Deadly Sins' I still don't really get it."**

**Pyrrha turned to him, "You're too calm about this!" she said in annoyance.**

"Yeah, our Jaune would totally be freaking out right now." Nora said with Ren nodding in agreeance.

**Glynda cleared her throat, "Therefore, you will receive special instruction from all the Trinity Seven."**

**Jaune immediately looked excited, "What? Special instruction from them all!?"**

**Penny crossed her arms over her chest as she closed her eyes, a smile on her lips, "I see. Master's instruction will definitely be perverted." She then nodded her head a few times like it was the logical outcome. **

"What does Penny mean by 'perverted'? And why is she referring to him as Master." Ironwood asked in concern.

"Yeah, what's Penny doing there?" Ruby asked.

"Remember that grimoire that saved Jaune?" Phoenix asked and the reaper nodded. "It is a very powerful one and is able to take on a more humanoid form when it wants to."

"You're saying Penny is a spell book?" Ironwood asked, completely stunned by that.

"A sentient one. But yes." The Writer said easily enough with a shrug, "As for the first question, this Jaune just ends up in a lot of perverse situations is all." He let a silence extend for a bit before he added, "And only half of them are his fault."

"What?!" everyone in the room shouted at once making Phoenix laugh.

**Jaune looked down at his grimoire, "Seriously?" He then looked up with a grin.**

"**It will not!" Pyrrha shouted at him in a mix of annoyance and embarrassment.**

**Qrow chuckled and earned him the attention of everyone in the room. "You're just capturing all the girls one after another. You might even get an opportunity." He teased.**

"**An opportunity?" Jaune asked as he turned to Pyrrha.**

**Pyrrha instantly covered her chest and turned away as she blushed, "You won't."**

Pyrrha blushed at that and instinctually covered her own chest. 'I'm glad Jaune doesn't do that with me."

**Penny looked at the two before she gained a devious grin, "I've thought so for a while, but if you desperately asked her, she seems like she'd let you do all sorts of perverted things."**

"**What are you saying, Penny?!" Pyrrha shouted. Jaune hummed to himself fin thought. "You can stop too, Jaune."**

"You're not helping, Penny!" Weiss shouted out in defense of her friend.

Meanwhile Pyrrha blushed a bit more, 'T-That's not true…is it? I mean, I h-haven't thought about it much b-but if Jaune did ask me…w-would I…?' Those thoughts quickly made Pyrrha blush as deeply as her hair.

"Why is Penny acting like that?" Ironwood asked, his concern growing for his alternate subordinate.

Phoenix just grinned, "She's just a bit more impish in this world. Plus, she likes to see the situations Jaune gets into."

**Glynda cleared her throat once again, "And so, study with each of the Trinity Seven, and write a report on each Archive." She pushed her glasses back into place, "It must be submitted by 8 AM tomorrow."**

"**E-eight in the morning?" Jaune asked in shock. Pyrrha and Penny both had just as stunned looks from the short amount of time he would have.**

"Wow, that is a lot even for you, Glynda." Qrow said with a whistle.

She shrugged, "Mr. Arc should keep his grades up then."

Ozpin took a sip from his coffee, "You two are at least giving him a chance to make up for his mistakes though. That's something."

**Penny turned to her master, "School is already over, so you should hurry."**

"**I'm going!" Jaune shouted before bolting out the door.**

**It then showed Jaune and Penny walking down one of the many halls of the academy, both had their arms crossed, "Now, how should I do this exactly…?"**

"**Looks like you're in a bind." A familiar voice said. Both stopped and looked up to the ceiling. There they saw Blake pressed against the ceiling and using a sheet that was the same design as the roof to hide everything from her shoulders down. She just looked down at the two with her usual smirk. She then jumped down and stood in front of the pair. What shocked everyone was that she didn't have cat ears.**

"I'm not a Faunus?" Blake asked out loud.

"Faunus don't exist in this world." Phoenix informed her, shocking the room further. "Honestly, Faunus are pretty fifty-fifty in your corner of the multiverse."

"**You're as graceful as ever." Jaune complimented as he looked at his friend.**

"**Aren't I. That's why I'm a ninja." She replied. She then gave him a thumbs up. "I'm also an excellent eavesdropper."**

"I thought this was a school for mages, why am I a ninja?" Blake asked. Although all her friends pretty much agreed that she was more of a ninja than a mage anyway.

"Apparently, Ninja Arts fall under some form of magic." He shrugged, "I never really understood it but it is a thing."

"**Then about my meeting from earlier…" Jaune started.**

"**You guys were talking about the harem plan for Jaune, weren't you?" she grinned.**

"**Huh?" he asked in confusion, "Was that what it was about?"**

"**Well, it did involve you feeling up seven girls, so I guess that's close enough." Penny 'helpfully' added. **

"What is wrong with these three?" Weiss said in exasperation.

"Well, Jaune and Blake have similar personalities and have similar… perversions. Penny just likes to fan the flames." He chuckled, "As for the harem, well, most of the Trinity Seven do harbor feelings for him."

"Does that include me?" Blake asked, she never really gave much thought to dating but she was curious now, since he brought it up.

"Last time I checked, you two were just really close friends." Answered the Writer. Blake just nodded while Pyrrha and Yang sighed in relief.

**Jaune then turned back to the ninja with a blush, "So are you going to teach me things, Blake?"**

"What?" the two women asked in sync.

**She shook her head, "Not yet. I need to prepare a few things first." She held up the peace sign to him, "It's all about saving the sweetest, most delicious desserts for last, you see." She dropped her hand, "Anyway, you should ask Coco to teach you first instead."**

"I thought you said they were just friends?" Nora asked.

"It could be similar to how Yang teases people." Ren added his thoughts.

**Jaune looked up slightly, "Coco, huh… Oh, I can meet her through Velvet, can't I?"**

"**But only when she's in the nurse's office." Penny reminded him.**

"**Alright, I guess I'll go find Velvet then." He started to run past her with Penny following, "Thank you, Ninja."**

"**No prob." She told him simply. "Have fun building your harem!"**

"**I will!" He answered back casually as Blake vanished from view.**

"Can we please move off of all this talk of harems." Weiss asked in exasperation with Winter nodding her head.

"I agree." Tai added. "Those two are talking about it like it's the most normal thing in the world." He was hoping this wouldn't have an effect on his youngest daughter.

**In the nurses office, Penny was sitting cross-legged on one of the beds while Jaune was seated on a bench opposite of it. Velvet was standing in the middle of the room but similar to Blake, she didn't have rabbit ears. "I see…" Coco's voice came from her mouth. "She placed one hand on her hip and raised the other hand, showing a camera. They could now see her under shirt was unbuttoned enough to show her stomach and some of her cleavage. Along with that, a lock of Velvet's hair had grown longer and turned caramel colored. "And that's why you decided to come to me first."**

"Why is Velvet talking like Coco?" Ruby asked.

"In this world, Velvet and Coco are fraternal twins. Currently, Coco is trapped in an alternate dimension but she can transfer her mind and soul into her twin when she is in the nurse's office, since the two dimensions overlap there."

"Then where is Velvet's mind and soul then?" Ruby followed up.

**The screen zoomed in to the camera screen and showed Velvet waving, "Big Sis, do your best!" she said through the camera.**

"Oh, never mind."

**Coco then vanished before reappearing in Jaune's lap, she leant forward and gently ran he finger over his chest, "But Jaune, I'd much rather give you private night lessons instead." She said seductively.**

"**Big Sis!" Velvet shouted form the camera, now being held between her breasts. "Th-that's still my body, you know!"**

**Coco just looked down at the camera, "Come on, Velvet. You should join us and have some fun."**

"**I-I could never!" she shouted back in embarrassment.**

"**Hey, I can always make room for one more." Jaune teased. That just caused Velvet to scream and the camera screen to go blank. That made the two laugh. **

"I'm kinda glad Velvet isn't here. I don't know if she could take this." Ruby said with a blush.

"Were they serious?" Pyrrha asked.

"It sounded more like they were just messing with Velvet." Yang gave her own opinion. She would know, teasing Ruby was a great past time of her own.

**Penny laughed from watching the trio, "You don't let up on anyone, Master."**

**Coco then placed the camera on the desk right beside them, "I suppose we can save our fun times for tonight." She then placed her finger on her cheek as she began to think, "But showing our Archives is really all we can do to help."**

"**Coco, your Archive is Acedia, or Sloth, isn't it?" Jaune asked.**

**She turned back to him, "That's right." She then got an idea, "Okay, how about we begin your lax lesson by laying on the bed, Jaune."**

"**Oh, nice." Jaune said as he got up and walked over to the bed. "I like my lessons chill and laid back." He then sat on the bed similar to Penny. **

**Coco raised her hand into the air, "Connecting to Acedia Archive. Execute Thema." Blue streams of data started to spin around her body and changing her clothing. When it was done, she was now wearing a dark neck choker, opera gloves and a cape-like gown that was held together by two strings that mostly covers her chest. Along with black mini shorts with a brown belt, stockings and black thigh high boots. **

"Whoa, not gonna lie, Coco rocks that look." Yang said out loud.

"Is it Coco or Velvet right now?" Blake asked her partner.

"Both?" Yang answered uncertainly.

**She then instantly disappeared before being on top of Jaune, shocking him. She then leant back a bit and her hands went to the string in front of her gown, "Be still, Jaune. Just stay where you are." She then began to open her gown. **

"Are we really going to watch this!?" Weiss asked as she blushed hard. Meanwhile, every male in the room was averting their gaze, just in case. Except for Phoenix, he knew what would happen next and new nothing 'private' would be shown. Although, he was grinning at everyone's stunned reactions.

**Luckily, she couldn't show all her/Velvet's chest to him since Velvet started to shout from the camera still on the desk. Coco turned to her sister. "Wait! Wait, Big Sis! That is still my body!"**

**Jaune spoke up uncertainly, "Oh, I thought we were saving this for tonight?"**

**Coco answered him easily enough but didn't try to close her gown at all, "Our personalities are complete opposites of our Archive and Thema." She then laid on top of him and held his head between her hands, "Meaning if I didn't rush into something like this, I wouldn't be the Sloth of the Trinity Seven." She ended her sentence with a wink.**

"Oh, so that's how it works." Ruby said, trying to focus on that and not what Coco was trying to do to her best friend. "Makes sense now. Coco is the complete opposite of Sloth, so I was confused on why she had magic related to it."

**Jaune narrowed his eyes slightly, "Ah, I get you." They both sat up and he gave a thumbs up, "Alright, show me all the erotic things you can do with Velvet's body!"**

**Coco raised her arms in the air, "Okay!" The camera's flash went off and it turned around. Showing Velvet covering her blushing face and screaming. **

"They are still only messing with her, right?" Pyrrha asked tensely. Even if it was an alternate version, she did not want to see Coco and Jaune getting physical.

"Jaune is." Phoenix supplied. "Since Coco is using Velvet's body; he wouldn't willingly let anything happen. If Coco had her own body though…" he let the sentence just hang and he was rewarded with Pyrrha and Yang glaring at the screen.

**The doors were then thrown open by a very irate Pyrrha, "Hey!"**

"**Oh, would you like to join us, Professor?" Coco asked innocently. **

"**Never!" was her instant response. **

**Jaune looked down in mock disappointment, "That's too bad. I would've loved to have double the bounce."**

Pyrrha let out an 'eep' and covered her chest again, her face blushing just as hard as before.

**A red aura soon consume the redhead as her eyes started to glow, "Jaune…" she said in a sinister tone. **

**That quickly made the two break apart and get off the bed as they looked nervously at Pyrrha. He then turned back to the brunette, "Thanks a lot, Coco. I think I understand Sloth a bit more now."**

That caused many of the students to laugh at how afraid their friends were of the champion.

"**Really? I'm glad I could help, Jaune. " She then moved her finger to her lip, "We'll continue doing fun things once I regain my real body." She then winked.**

**He just nodded with a smile, "For sure!"**

"**You can't do it with your real body either!" Pyrrha and Velvet shouted at the same time. When they were done and looked again, Jaune and Penny were nowhere to be seen.**

That made them laugh even harder while Pyrrha blushed more. "Wow, Pyrrha, you're more possessive of Jaune in that world than our own." Nora said as she patted her teammates back. That just made her try to fall further into her chair.

**The two were seen running down the hallways again. They stopped and Jaune turned around, "Did we lose, Pyrrha?"**

"**Seems like it." Penny answered and the two just sighed.**

"**Big Brother!" another familiar voice shouted out. **

**They turned around and saw Ruby peeking out of a door. "Oh, Ruby."**

"Oh, I'm here too." Ruby said with a smile.

"Why did she call him 'Big Brother'?" Yang asked.

"It's just a nickname. No relation between them." Phoenix told her.

**She smiled and walked over to him, "Are you trying to escape from Professor Pyrrha? Would you like me to help?"**

**He just nodded, "Yes, please."**

**She threw her hands up, "Okay." She then did the peace sign over her eye. "Connecting to Avaritia Archive. Execute Thema!" She closed her fingers and her clothes changed to a white sleeveless collared tail blouse with white laces on the bottom hems. Along with opera gloves with white cuffs and were pink from the arm to the wrist and black on the hands. The plaid mini skirt and loafers remained but with thigh high socks with cuffs that are white from the ankle to the foot. Finally, a white conductors baton appeared in her hand.**

"Oh, that's so cute!" Yang said as she pulled her sister into a hug.

"Yang, let me go!" Ruby shouted as she tried to free herself from her sister.

Tai chuckled, "It reminds me of when you were younger and you would pretend to be a Huntress. You would do a pose and everything." Qrow couldn't help chuckling as well.

"Dad, no!" Ruby shouted in further embarrassment. Weiss and Blake couldn't help looking at their teammates and smiling at the sisters' antics.

"**Dreamy Fairy Serenade!" she shouted as giant rainbow colored music notes started to flood the hallway. They put Velvet to sleep and forced Pyrrha watch over her. **

That made everyone else in the room chuckle or giggle goodheartedly at the other Ruby. Ruby managed to get out of her sister's hug and pout in her seat as she pulled her hood up to hide her face.

**The screen then showed an older looking Ruby and Jaune standing in a small bedroom. **

"Wait, what just happened?" Qrow asked.

"Ruby can create her own pocket dimension and she can bring anyone she wants there. Also, she can even change how she appears while in it." Phoenix explained.

"**I've been waiting, Big Brother." He was then tackled onto the bed by the older looking Ruby. She raised herself off him but still stared down at him with a look in her eyes, "Now let me teach you all about Avaritia." She said in a sultry tone.**

That made everyone just stop and stare at the screen. No one more so than Ruby, who was just slack jawed.

**The screen transitioned to the ceiling where they saw many articles of Ruby's clothing being thrown into the air, "Unleash all of your greed upon me!" More clothing went flying, "Take it all away from me!" Finally went flying was her underwear.**

"Wait a minute!" Tai shouted in both sheer shock and fraternal fury. A similar bloodlust could be felt coming off of Qrow and Yang. Meanwhile, Ozpin and Ironwood quickly covered their eyes, not wanting to see Miss Rose like that. And Ruby was also still froze but her face blushing as red as a cherry.

The older sister just turned her gaze to Phoenix, who just stared back unaffected, "What the hell are you showing us!?"

He just raised an eyebrow, "Calm down. Have I showed you anything to _explicit_ so far?" When she didn't answer she continued, "Keep watching."

"**Wait, wait, wait!" Jaune held his hand out with his eyes closed. His jacket and shirt were open thanks to the naked girl on top of him, not that the screen showed any of that.**

"**Oh, Big Brother, are you nervous because this is your first time?" Ruby asked while still straddling him. "Don't worry, it's mine too, but I know all about-" She then leant in to try to kiss him.**

That was the last straw. Ruby let out an embarrassed squeak before finally passed out in her chair because of her other self. "Ruby!" Yang shouted before checking on her sister.

**Jaune pulled back, "Hey, hold on!" Ruby pulled back in confusion. "Uh, is this really how Greed works?"**

**Ruby nodded happily, "Yup, it is!" She puckered her lips, waiting for a kiss, but kept talking, "All I need is you, Big Brother, so you can be as greedy as you want with me-"**

Weiss was now massaging her forehead, "I could've gone my whole life without seeing my partner like this."

"Right there with you." Qrow added. He had his hand over his face as he looked up at the ceiling, "I'm nowhere drunk enough for this." He was so tempted to take drink from his flask but he knew he couldn't get anymore while still in the manor, so he wanted to save it for when he really needed it.

**He closed his eyes and was unsure on how to say this, "Well, I'm sure that would feel great and I'm very touched but…" He then gently pushed her back a bit.**

"**Would you prefer the smaller Ruby instead?" she asked.**

"You better not!" Yang shouted. She may like Jaune but this was her sister she was talking about. Her baby sister! Plus, there was a bit of jealousy mixed into that as well.

"**I'm moved by how considerate you're being… But, Ruby…" She hummed a bit, showing she was listening. He then raised his finger, "Isn't this Lust?" **

**Her eyes widened before she raised her own hand, "Oh, what if we say that Greed can overpower Lust?"**

"**Can one sin trump another that easily?" he asked back.**

**She pouted and sat back, pulling her knees up to cover her modesty just a bit more, "That might make Professor Pyrrha angry…"**

"Wow, she didn't give up easily." Nora chimed in.

"I'm just glad she did though." Yang sighed in relief. Although Tai was still fuming in the row behind them.

"You really didn't have to worry about anything." Their host spoke up. "Yes, this Jaune is more perverse but under it all, he has a good heart. He wouldn't just jump into something like that with her since he doesn't want to hurt her."

Weiss huffed, "Just because he didn't take advantage of Ruby, does not mean this Jaune isn't a womanizer."

"Why don't get some fresh cookies?" Phoenix asked ignoring the heiress. "That may wake her up."

Yang nodded before walking over to the concession stand. She grabbed a plate and it was soon filled with freshly baked cookies. She then knelt in front of her sister and after a few seconds, they could all hear her sniffing the air. She then bolted upwards with Yang barely getting out of the way in time, "Cookies!" she shouted and soon saw that everyone was staring at her, "What?"

"**Right?" She then turned back into her original self. "One more thing." He said keeping his eyes on her, not letting them try to lower. "Try to avoid saying I'm the only one you need. Don't forget about Blake and the rest of your friends."**

**She smiled a bit and nodded, "Yeah, I'll be more careful." The two then smiled at each other.**

"Oh, right." Ruby said in mild embarrassment as she sat back down in her seat. Yang placed the plate of cookies on her lap and she cheered before eating one. That made everything right in her world again.

"**So, since you don't want much of anything, you're the Greed of the Trinity Seven." Jaune stated. **

**The screen panned up from the floor, showing Jaune and Ruby sitting on the bed but both fully clothed again. "Yup. All I need is sleep, so there's not much a really want."**

"**Is that so?" **

"**But I feel I've been getting greedier lately!" she said excitedly.**

"**Really?"**

"**Yeah!" she nodded, "I want to live happily with Big Brother and all my friends forever!" she giggled cutely.**

**Jaune just grinned before he gently patted her head, "Same goes for me." She nodded with him.**

"Well, that's just precious." Yang said with a smile.

"I mean, I want the same thing." Ruby said with half a cookie in hand. "Plus, a lot of cookies."

**The screen showed the men's bathing room and Jaune now sat in the massive bath, his back against the wall. He sighed, "I can't get enough of this bath."**

**He then heard the screen door open and close. He opened his eyes and looked on in shock as Yang walked in with a towel wrapped tightly around her form. "Hey, Lady Killer, I'm coming in!" she said with her hand up in a wave.**

"Yang!" Tai shouted.

"It's not me!" she answered immediately.

**She slowly starting wading through the water toward shim. "Yang? What's up? You giving me service?" he asked but you could easily hear the nervous tremble in his voice. **

That made Tai growl. Although, Yang smiled slightly at the nervousness he had. She then had an image of herself doing something similar with her Jaune and just _knew _he would have an adorable reaction. She decided to stash that idea away for later.

"**I got asked to teach you stuff about my Archive." She said simply as she sat down beside him. "But I thought we could have some naked communion as a bonus."**

**He looked away from her, "I personally don't mind but what about you?" he turned back to her. **

"**Hm?"**

"**I'd assume your boss would've went something like, 'Don't bathe with that filthy man!" The latter half being a pretty poor imitation of Weiss but that got her to laugh.**

A few people laughed at his interpretation as Weiss pouted. "Wait, I work for Weiss?" Yang asked after their laughter subsided.

"In a way." Phoenix answered. "You, Jaune and Weiss are part of the Security for the school. You help protect it and deal with other magical issues."

"**Actually, when I asked her if she wanted to join, she turned red and ran away." Yang informed him.**

"**Or that, I guess." He said with a grin.**

That earned a few more laughs and another huff from Weiss.

**Yang then gently tugged on the front of her towel to pull it up a bit, "People aren't supposed to bathe with a towel on. But since we're going mixed, we'll have to break that custom."**

"What is my relationship with him?" Yang asked.

"Right now, you just see him as a good friend but not too far in the future, you do fall for him."

Yang just nodded with a small smile but this one wasn't missed by Pyrrha who narrowed her eyes at the blonde.

"**Well, Nora also makes herself at home in the men's bath, so I don't think it's a big deal." He said and couldn't help looking at her towel covered chest.**

**Yang saw where he was looking, "What? You've already seen me naked plenty of times."**

"What?" Yang said out loud.

"Jaune's innate magic allows him to cancel other forms of magic. And, as you've seen, when a mage uses their magic, their clothing changes to better accommodate. So, if he uses his power to cancel their magic, their clothing disappears as well." That caused every woman in the room to blush. "He never does it on purpose though. It usually only happened when he can't fully control his magic or if the magic somehow is rebounded away from his target."

"So….he's seen a-all of us n-naked?" Ruby asked with a stutter and blush.

"All except Blake." Phoenix answered. Everyone turned to her. "She's too alert and manages to get out of his range every time. He has jokingly called Blake the 'final frontier'." He chuckled when he saw Blake blush.

"I am truly worried about this Mr. Arc." Goodwitch said.

"Now, now. Phoenix has assured us he hasn't stepped too far out of line." Ozpin tried to relieve her worry before drinking his coffee when she gave him a deadpanned expression.

"**Guys never get tired of looking at a pretty girls body!" he said like it was common sense. **

"**Really?" she asked coyly. "I'm actually pretty embarrassed by all this though, so try not to stare too much." With that he instantly turned away.**

"**Oh yeah, you're Gula or Gluttony of the Trinity Seven, aren't you? So, you like eating?" he asked to get off the conversation.**

"**Of course I do." She answered. "I only represent Gluttony because I practice abstinence. Meaning I resist my urges for sleep, sex, food… I've been training my whole life to not need them."**

"If only our Yang was like that." Blake snarked

"What does that mean!?" Yang asked in annoyance. Silence was her answer.

"**That's quite a strict lifestyle."**

"**All the others are like that too. They've all been through some rough times." She informed him. She then pointed his thumb to the wall behind them, "Well, at least they all seem pretty happy now." She said with a smirk. That allowed them to hear Velvet, Ruby and Nora messing with Pyrrha in the women's bath. And that caused Yang to laugh, "I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you went over and joined in."**

"**What, you sure?!" he asked in shock.**

"**That's what any other Demon Lord candidate would do." She said simply.**

**He crossed his arms in thought, "That's a good point."**

"Demon Lord?" Ozpin asked.

"Without getting too far into it, a Demon Lord is essentially the being that usually ends the current world before a new one is created."

There was a silence, "And Mr. Arc is one?" Ozpin followed up with another question.

"Technically he's still a candidate, so it's not set in stone. Although, it does mean that he is vastly powerful though."

"**Anyway, our boss is really innocent, so it'd be great if you could take it easy on her." She said with a grin.**

**He just smiled back, "Of course. Weiss has done a lot for me, so I gotta return the favor." **

**She raised her fist to him, "Nice. I'm counting on you then." He just raised his own and they tapped the back of their fists together.**

**The screen then transitioned to showing both Jaune and Nora sitting on his bed and facing each other. "We will now begin your lesson on Ira, or Wrath." Nora said in a monotone voice.**

"It's me!" Nora shouted.

"It is. But why do you sound so…well, so much like Ren?" Pyrrha asked.

**He nodded, "Sure but… Wrath doesn't suit you at all, Nora." He said as he looked at her neutral expression.**

**She tilted her head slightly, "Really?" she asked in the same monotone. "Grrr." She said exactly the same way.**

That got a few chuckles from the students, "What was that?" Yang asked.

**Jaune couldn't help but deadpan at her, "Was that your attempt at getting angry?"**

"**Yes, I am currently very upset."**

**He deadpanned more, "Yeah, no, you're not."**

**She looked to the side, "This is pretty difficult." She then looked back at him, "Actually, my husband, you should try getting angry."**

"Wait, husband!" Pyrrha shouted.

"I'm married to Jaune!?" Nora asked, just stunned. No one noticed that Ren's eyebrow twitch slightly.

"No. It was just prophesied that Nora would marry the future Demon Lord. So, with Jaune being a candidate, she has started calling him that."

**He crossed his arms, "It's kinda tough to make yourself mad when you're asked to though."**

**She raised her finger, "Isn't it? It's much easier to anger other people instead." She then placed her hands on the bed in front of him and leant forward, stunning him, "How about this, my husband?"**

**He smiled down at her, "Well, this is kinda fun and my heart's racing."**

"**Then, my husband, we shall now enjoy making babies together." She then placed one hand on his shoulder and the other on his cheek as they got closer and closer to kissing. **

"Babies!?" All of the students shouted. While all the adult's just facepalmed and sighed. They were so done with this world.

**That was when the door was thrown open and Pyrrha was standing there with a handgun in hand, "Hey! I thought nothing was going on in here, so why did I hear you talking about m-making babies?!"**

"**See? She got mad?" Nora said to Jaune as she looked at the Professor.**

"**Yeah, her Wrath's really showing." He replied. Then the two started to clap to Pyrrha's embarrassment.**

The students all stared at the screen for a bit, "Wow." Everyone turned to Ruby, "She predicted Pyrrha so well." They then all started to chuckle at the applause the two were giving.

"**Both of you, sit down!" she shouted. They had no choice but to listen as she started to lecture them.**

**Jaune tried to whisper to Nora, "Now that we made her mad, how do we calm her down?"**

"**All you can do is wait for the dust to settle." She whispered back. **

"**Oh, this is pretty difficult." He answered back to her with a grin.**

**Nora looked at him in shock before a small but happy smile came to her lips and a light blush, "Yes, it is pretty difficult."**

"Before Jaune showed up, Nora showed no emotion and only focused on her magic. But he is slowly helping to get her out of her shell." Phoenix explained.

**The screen then shifted to Jaune throwing another door open before staring on in shock. **

**There was Weiss standing in the middle of her room in only her underwear as a her face turned bright red. Jaune just clapped his hands together and bowed slightly. "Thanks for the feast as always." He said quietly.**

"That pervert!" Weiss shouted, stunning everyone but her cheeks were bright red. Winter had also leveled an icy glare at the screen.

"In his defense, you were going to beat the crap out of him either way, so he decided to compliment you." Phoenix said with a chuckle.

**The screen transitioned to the front of the school where they could hear only loud impacts. Before going back to the room where Jaune was unconscious and leaning on the table. While Weiss was now in her nightgown, facing away from him, and cleaning blood off a crystal ball with a cloth.**

"Damn, Weiss, it was an accident." Yang told the heiress.

She huffed, "No excuse. He should've knocked regardless."

"**Your filthiness never ceases." She told him.**

**Jaune groaned in pain as he managed to sit up, "Sorry but I really wanted to see you." She looked back to him, stunned slightly. "We use the same Archive, so I came to get a lesson on Pride from you."**

**She had her back to him once again but she had a small smile, "Of course you would." He didn't quite hear her and looked confused. "Don't mind me." She told him as she turned to face him fully. "I heard Professor Pyrrha would be accompanying you though."**

"**I guess she's late." He said honestly, not really knowing where she was. "She must be busy being a teacher and all."**

"**I-I suppose your right." She started. "You've learned about Sloth, Greed, Gluttony and Wrath so far, correct?"**

"**Yeah, that's right." He said with a small nod before cupping his chin to think. "They felt like the usual sequence of events though."**

"Wait, that is considered a normal encounter with all of them?" Tai asked.

"More or less." Tai did _not_ like that answer one bit. They may not technically be his daughters but still.

"**So the remaining Archives are Blake's Envy, my Pride and Professor Pyrrha's Lust." She asked and he just nodded. "I shall instruct you on how to interpret the Archive that reigns over all others: Superbia."**

"**Reigns over?"**

"**Yes." She looked down at her crystal ball. "Consider your Impel Thema, known as Rule, and my Justitia Thema, known as Justice. You have the ability to take control of others' magic and then use it as your own, whereas I am able to analyze opposing magic and then reflect its power back to its source."**

"**Ah, I see." Jaune said out loud. "So that means we can work off of any kind of magic."**

"That is so overpowered." Ruby said now that she was done with her cookies.

**Weiss nodded, "Right, that's why…" she then slammed down several stacks of books in front of him. "We shall thoroughly study all the various Archives here." **

**He just looked up at her in shock and reluctance. She just leveled him a glare with her crystal ball raised, "By the name of Justitia, I will only accept 'Yes' and 'I understand' as proper answers!"**

"**I-I understand!" he shouted.**

"Can't blame him." Blake said. "We saw what she did with that thing and that was without magic."

**It was now around one in the morning and the two were still up. Jaune yawned as he was looking at one of the various books, "Hey, Weiss, about this here-" He started to say before he saw that she was falling asleep in her chair. **

**He closed his book quietly once she laid her head on the table in front of them. "Oh well. Guess I gotta handle the rest on my own." He said quietly. He reached over and poked her cheek. She didn't wake up and only smiled in her sleep.**

"That's nearly as adorable as Ruby." Yang said with a grin.

"I have to agree, that is very cute, Weiss." Pyrrha added on.

Not sure on just how to take that, Weiss just looked down with a mild pink now on her cheeks.

**Pyrrha was quietly walking through the darkened hallways of the academy, "Cleaning took much longer than I expected. I've got to hurry if I'm to protect Weiss from Jaune's perverted ways." She stopped when she saw that Weiss' door was cracked open. She quietly looked in to see what was going on.**

**She was just in time to see Jaune stand up and walk over to Weiss. "What is he doing to Weiss?" she asked herself quietly as she had her handgun ready.**

"Yes. What is this miscreant planning on doing to my sister." Winter said icily.

**She then saw him pick her up bridal style and carry her to her bed. She just held her cheeks in her hands as she stared on, "J-Jaune?"**

**He gently laid her down on it and that's when Weiss woke up slightly before her eyes went wide in shock, 'Huh?! I fell asleep, then I-' She closed her eyes in a panic, 'Wait! What?!' She quickly tried to rationalize, 'Jaune may be a filthy man but to go as far as to assault a sleeping girl… But if he finds out that I'm awake, then maybe…' She cracked her eyes open enough to see him smiling down at her. She then moved her head enough and parted her lips to be ready for a kiss while keeping up the guise she was still sleeping. **

"Weiss, what are you doing?" Winter asked evenly but with a noticeable edge.

"I-I don't know!" Weiss spoke up. She blushed at what her other self was trying to do.

**That's when Jaune gently rub her head. "Thanks for keeping me in line all the time." He said quietly to her. "I'm really grateful." That's when he pulled up her blanket to cover her. He gently moved a lock of her hair out of her face, "And sorry for making you teach me when you were tired. Goodnight, Weiss. I'll be back tomorrow."**

Weiss blushed even more at the tender words and how gentle he was with her. She felt her heart skip the slightest beat but she didn't notice.

**He backed up from her bed and started to turn towards the door. That's when Pyrrha backed away from the door and ran down the hall. Jaune came out the door right after with the book he was reading beforehand. He quietly closed the door before walking the opposite way Pyrrha ran.**

**Pyrrha was behind the corner with her back to where she ran from. The screen didn't show her eyes but she lowered her head a bit, 'So that's what Jaune really thinks of Weiss…' It pulled back enough to show her troubled expression and blushing cheeks. Her hands went to her chest, 'But why is this pain in my chest?'**

"Oh…." Pyrrha said out loud. She was getting flashbacks to all the times that Jaune didn't notice her and was more focused on chasing Weiss. That was when she felt Ren and Nora each put a hand on her shoulder and she gave them each a weak smile.

**Back in her room, Weiss was sitting on her bed with her knees to her chest and her blanket wrapped tightly around her, 'Why did I want him to assault me?!" she thought to herself with a blush. She lowered her head, 'How could I put my Pride on the line like that!?' That's when she started to roll back and forth on her bed.**

"Looks like this Weiss has her own feelings for Jaune." Blake teased the heiress which just caused her to look down in further embarrassment.

**Jaune was laying in his bed as he check the time on his phone, it was three in the morning. "Looks like I'm getting Pyrrha's help tomorrow then." He rolled over and was about to try to sleep when he heard a knock on his door. "Coming!" he said as he started to walk over to it. He opened the door to see that Pyrrha standing there. "Pyrrha?"**

**She looked to the side with her blush still on her cheeks, "Jaune, sorry for coming so late."**

"**No, don't worry about it." He told her easily. That was when she pushed herself into him. "Pyrrha?" he asked in confusion.**

**Her arms went around him and gripped the back of his jacket tightly, "Since I represent the Luxuria Archive, Lust, tonight, we…" She pulled away just enough to look him in the eyes, "We should sleep together, just for tonight."**

"Whoa, didn't think you had it in you, Pyrrha." Nora teased as she gently nudged her with her elbow. Pyrrha was just staring at the screen with a dark blush now on her cheeks and all those thoughts from earlier started to come back with a vengeance.

**Jaune just wrapped his arms around her with a sigh. She gasped slightly at the action, "Pyrrha, I appreciate the offer and the wicked thoughts of devouring you…"**

"Did he have to put it like that?" Blake asked as she deadpanned at the screen.

"Apparently." Weiss added.

"**Yes?"**

"**But aren't you supposed to be the total opposite of Lust?" he said with a small smile. She started to tear up as he continued. "Which means you're not doing this out of desire for me but for something else, right?" The tear started to fall as she buried her face into his chest, "I would never hold any of this against you, so tell me what's up, Pyrrha." He said soothingly.**

"See?" Phoenix asked. "Like I said, under it all, he is still a good guy."

"**I'm sorry. I saw you and Weiss earlier and then my chest started to hurt." She explained to him. "I didn't know what to do."**

"**I see." He gently started to rub the back of her head, "I really am grateful to Weiss but I'm even more so to you, Pyrrha. So let me know the next time you're feeling lonely. I'll owe it to my luck and be your shoulder to cry on for as long as you need."**

That made a smile come to Pyrrha's lips. She had a good feeling that her Jaune felt the same way about her. And maybe, she should start to show more of her vulnerable sides to him. She knew she could trust him with that.

**She finally pulled away completely and started to wipe away her tears, "Oh, Jaune, you're considering this as lucky?"**

"**Who wouldn't?" he asked rhetorically. "I'm really lucky to get hugged by a pretty girl like you." He then held up a peace sign.**

**She gently laid her hand on his chest, "Jaune, you…" she then rested her head against his chest again. "I'll be relying on you."**

Everyone just smiled at the tender moment. No one noticed that Phoenix had his fingers on his left hand extended and was silently counting down to zero.

**That was when every light came on in the academy and alarms started to go off. "Jaune, witness the complexity of the envious maiden heart: Invidia!" Blake's voice rang out. **

**The two held onto each other as they look around in a panic. That's when Blake leapt done form the ceiling, "Ninja!" he said in shock.**

**Blake just grinned at them, "It all began with Pyrrha's envy for Coco, her envy grew as she thought of you making out with girl after girl." Pyrrha just stared at her friend as she explained, just completely overtaken by shock. "Then I went on to secretly open Weiss' door, allowing Pyrrha to sneak a peek. That is the power of the lecherous ninja arts!"**

"**What?!" Pyrrha shouted finally.**

"Damn, Blake, you planned all of that? Geez." Yang stated.

"I'm not sure whether I'm impressed or scared by all of that?" Weiss added.

"Is it okay that I'm both?" Ruby asked seriously.

"That isn't me." Blake deadpanned.

"**You're amazing, Ninja." Jaune said, honestly impressed.**

"**Aren't I?" she asked rhetorically.**

**It then showed Weiss walking down the hall towards Jaune's room, "I-I have to apologize for falling asleep."**

**When she was outside the open door, she overheard Blake, "But man, slipping that sleeping pill into Weiss' drink sure was tough." She just froze.**

"Oh, this is going to escalate." Pyrrha spoke up.

"Definitely." Ren simply added.

"This is going to be great!" Nora said in excitement.

"**Oh, so that's why Weiss fell asleep." He continued. "She had a nice sleeping face."**

"**I was hoping things would take a turn for the erotic with Weiss and Pyrrha though." Blake said in disappointment. **

"**If only they had." Jaune said simply.**

"Blake?!" Pyrrha and Weiss shouted at her with the same blush on my cheeks.

"For the last time, that isn't me!" Blake shouted back.

"**How dare you do that?!" Pyrrha and Weiss shouted in fury, annunciating each word as they were surrounded by fire. **

**Jaune gasped in fear while Blake panicking said, "Crap, I forgot to take Wrath into account." The two then screamed as the screen showed one final image of Blake and Jaune running away while Pyrrha had her gun ready and Weiss was preparing her crystal ball. **

The screen faded with that, "So, what did you all think?" Phoenix asked with a teasing grin.

"Well, it was different." Pyrrha said.

"I personally thought it was hilarious." Phoenix grinned before he sighed, "But I get it." He pulled out his book and started to look through it. "I'll try to find something you'll like better."

* * *

**A/N- It has been a while. Sorry about that but I didn't want to do the next chapter until after Khor Evik Vlakhavlakh finished his latest chapter for Viewing Jaune Arc: The Elemental Swordsman. I also decided to go for a harem anime since those always make me laugh. Seeing those protagonists getting into scenarios are a work of gold, lol. Anyways, I hoped you all enjoyed and I'll see you when I can next update!**


	8. Vignettes

**Source Material: Fresh Prince of Bel-Air- Final Episode. My Hero Academia- Episode 5. The Flash- Runnin' Home to You**

* * *

Phoenix was looking through the pages of his red book, looking for another world to pick from. When he finally found the one he wanted to show his guests, he felt a surge of energy run across his entire body. He quickly looked up and closed his eyes, allowing his senses to find what the disturbance was. It didn't take long for him to find it in the forge. He opened his eyes and spoke quietly to himself, "The bonding process is done already? Quicker than I expected. Although it was from Khor, so that may explain it a bit."

"Is something wrong, Phoenix?" Asked Ozpin.

The Writer turned his gaze from the far wall to the headmaster, "Sorry about that." He stood up with his book in hand. "It appears that a project I was working on has moved to the stage where I need to be more involved. Ahead of schedule, actually." He chuckled to himself. "So, it looks like I will have to leave you for a bit."

The viewers looked at each other before Ironwood spoke up, "So what do you have planned for us?"

"Well, I don't want to show you a new world with myself not present but I do have something in mind." He grinned as he held his book up and held his left hand over the open pages. After a few seconds, three smaller fireballs arose from the tome. He flipped his left hand over so the three fireballs were revolving around each other and snapped the book closed, having it disappear in another bout of orange fire.

"These." The Writer said as he motioned to the three balls, "Will be shorter viewings than you've seen so far. Two will be continuations of worlds that you have seen and the third will be a preview for one I plan to show you in the not so distant future. But I won't have to explain much about it. Watch these and afterwards the manor is yours to do what you want with. And I'll be back as soon as I can."

"Wait!" Ruby shouted as she stood up, "You said I could watch you do the forging!"

"And you can, Ruby. I still need to do a few things before I actually start. I should be ready when you're done with these viewings. Just don't be late." He finished with a grin.

She sighed in relief before she sat down again. Everyone else just looked at the two in confusion, not sure on what the two were talking about. "Well, let's get this started." Phoenix said as the fireballs flew towards the screen and were absorbed into it, one after the other. He then gave them a two finger salute before he was enveloped in orange fire and was gone when they burned away. And that was when the screen came to life.

**Taiyang, Summer, Yang and Ruby were all gathered in an air dock. Their daughters would soon be getting on the airship that would take them to Beacon. Tai was hugging Yang while Summer was doing the same to Ruby. "Keep an eye on your sister, okay, Yang?" Tai asked his eldest daughter.**

**Yang just smirked as she squeezed her father tighter, "Always, Dad."**

Yang sighed with a smirk, "That is exactly what you told me when we left, Dad."

He chuckled, "You're right. But that's my job."

"This must be from the first universe we saw." Winter spoke up and gaining everyone's attention. "Out of all the ones we've seen so far, that is the only one that is this similar to our own world and we have seen Summer Rose."

"**Do your best, Ruby. And please don't go fighting anymore highly wanted criminals." Summer said to her youngest daughter as she hugged her while gently stroking her hair.**

**Ruby giggled, "I'll try, Mom. But I can't promise anything, sorry." Ruby told her mother causing the older woman to sigh.**

Ruby had a small but slightly sad smile at that, "I miss you, Mom." She said quietly to herself. The other three members of her family had similar looks at seeing their missing family member.

**They then pulled away before they would hug their other parent/daughter. "Stay safe, honey. And make sure Yang doesn't get into too much trouble." Tai told his youngest daughter as he gently patted her head.**

"**Dad!" Ruby whined. "You know how impossible that is." That caused her father to laugh.**

"Hey! What does that mean?" Yang asked indignantly.

Ruby looked away innocently as she sipped her soda and that caused Tai to sigh, "Yang, we love you but sometimes…"

"Firecracker, you have a habit of just being a pain in the ass." Qrow said bluntly with a smirk. Yang looked at him in betrayal as everyone that knew the blonde brawler chuckled. Yang crossed her arms and pouted as Blake tried to pat her on the shoulder in reassurance. She promptly ignored her partner.

"**You're gonna do fine, sweetheart." Summer told her other daughter. "Just mind your temper. It can get you into trouble." That came with her gently rubbing her back.**

**Yang sighed, "Yeah, yeah. I know…. Thanks, Mom." She added quietly but reassuringly.**

**They, regrettably, pulled away and their daughters, "We'll call you every Sunday to check in on you two and see how you're doing. Got that?" Tai asked with a grin as Summer nodded beside him. **

"Hey, Dad?" Ruby asked as she turned to look at him. "Do you want us to start doing that too?"

Tai was shocked but he grinned at her, "I'd like that, sweetheart. I really would." With that, Ruby nodded and turned back to the screen.

**The two students nodded resolutely before then grabbing their things and heading to where they needed to drop off their luggage. With that, the two turned to the last person in their group, standing several feet away. Jaune.**

"There's Jaune!" Nora shouted excitedly, "I was wondering when he'd show up."

**Summer walked over to him and hugged him tightly, "Be sure you all come home and see us when you get a chance. I wanna hear about how everything is going for you all."**

**Jaune grinned and hugged her back, "You got it, Aunt Sum." The two pulled away and she leant up to give him a kiss on his cheek. She then walked away to find a spot to clearly see them when the airship would take off. Along with giving Tai and Jaune some privacy. He smiled at his uncle, "I bet you didn't see this one coming when I first showed up. Huh, Uncle Tai?"**

"**What would make you say that?" Tai asked with a raised eyebrow.**

**Jaune gave a half-hearted shrug. "Just, when I came out here, I was just a stupid kid with a crazy dream. Now, well, I'm not…"**

"He did join Beacon with no training and his aura not unlocked." Pyrrha whispered so only her teammates could hear. That caused Nora to chuckle and Ren to smile.

**Tai just shook his head as he laid a hand on his nephew's shoulder, "When you moved in, I saw a kid loaded with all the potential in the world. And now I see someone on the verge of realizing that potential." **

"Damn, Tai." Qrow said.

"What?" Tai said. "We've seen what this kid has been doing across several worlds now and he's been a powerhouse in each one so far. My alternate self is not wrong."

"Fair enough." Qrow nodded.

**The two looked at each other, smiling before Jaune hesitantly looked away, "You okay?' Tai asked.**

"**Yeah, yeah, no, no, I'm okay, Uncle Tai." He said with a smile as he waved his arms dismissively. He looked to the side before looking back to him, "It's just, when I first came out here…" he shrugged slightly. "I was a relative. But for the past few years, we've been family. I just don't wanna go back to being just a relative again."**

**Tai's eyes widened a bit in realization before he sighed with a half grin. Jaune just kept speaking, "I mean, I lived without a father. Without sisters." He shrugged again with a nervous smile, "I like this life better." He nodded, "I want you to call me on Sundays too, y'know, when you're calling your other kids." That made Tai chuckle.**

**Jaune looked down with a sigh before he looked back into his uncle's eyes. "Look, um, I love you, Uncle Tai, and I don't wanna lose you. Any of you." His voice shook slightly from the fear he was feeling right now.**

"I can see where he's coming from." Nora said as she ate a handful of popcorn.

"You can?" Winter asked.

She nodded, "I was alone for quite a while before I met Ren. And then when we came to Beacon, we got our team and new family. Along with team RWBY. I have more family and friends than ever. So, it is terrifying to think about one day going back to all of that." She looked down, which caused Ren to wrap one arm around her in a hug and for Pyrrha to gentle take one of her hands in her own. That made the ginger give a small but genuine smile in return.

**Tai scoffed, "You're not gonna lose us. You are my son, Jaune. End of story." That caused Jaune to smile again. "You just better make sure your butt is by a scroll on Sunday." He joked.**

**Jaune nodded. "You got it." He nodded before he had a look of contemplation in his eyes. "There's just one more thing, Uncle Tai." He knelt down to look into his backpack. He reached in and pulled out a very familiar dagger in a sheath. He stood up as he was just looking at it. He looked back at Tai before he held it out to him with a grin, "I want you to have this."**

Everyone just stared one in shock and only Ruby was able to speak, "That's the dagger he made for Noah…"

**Tai just looked down at it in shock before looking back up, "I can't take that, Jaune."**

"**Why not? I made it for my **_**father**_**, after all." He answered with a grin.**

That made a few of the students tear up a that. Goodwitch had a smile as similar tears gathered in her own eyes, "It looks like Mr. Arc has found his real father, after all. It's heartwarming." She then began to dab her cheeks and eyes with a handkerchief.

Tai just looked at the screen with a smile. He loved his daughters like no other but every father always wonders what it would be like to have a son. It was nice to see a version of himself getting that wish. The only way he would get the chance would be if Yang or Ruby married a nice young man. But that was a far way off, especially considering that neither of them were in a relationship. Or had feelings for anyone, as far as he knew.

At that moment, Yang sneezed out of nowhere. She shook her head slightly, 'Am I getting sick?' She thought to herself.

**Tai just looked at Jaune before a smile crossed his face. He tentatively took the dagger. Right before he pulled his nephew, no, son, into a hug. Jaune hugged him back as he was patted on his back. Neither of them spoke about how misty eyed they were getting. After several long seconds, the two pulled away. Tai just looked at him before he shook his head slightly, "You should get going. You don't want to miss the airship."**

**Jaune laughed, "Yeah. Good point." Jaune quickly picked up his stuff before he started to make his way to the air ship.**

"**Jaune." Tai said out loud and he turned to face him. He just pointed at him with a smile, "Sunday."**

**Jaune just nodded with a smile, "Sunday it is." With that, he turned back to the ship to meet up with Yang and Ruby. Ready to continue his journey as a Huntsman. And the screen went dark. **

"Well, that ended on a better note than the first time we saw it." Ozpin said with a smile.

"I wonder what the next one will be?" Yang asked in curiosity.

**The screen came to life for the second time and revealed the next world to them all. It showed a classroom with several students dressed in school uniforms. The students inside were all looking at the door and at Qrow Branwen. He was dressed in a simple outfit of a long-sleeved black shirt and matching pants that were tucked into his boots. He had what looked like to be a utility belt of some sort and a very long, grey scarf wrapped around his neck. And unlike the one in the theater, he had bags under his eyes and looked exhausted.**

**He looked around the room as a whole, "I'm your homeroom teacher, Qrow Branwen. Nice to meet you." **

**That shocked all the students with Jaune shouting, "Homeroom teacher?!"**

"So, a world with Qrow as a teacher? I wonder who allowed that to happen?" Winter snarked out.

Qrow looked over to the Specialist with a glare, "For your information, Ice Queen, I was a teacher for quite a while. I think I did a damn good job."

"Qrow, you quit being a teacher because of 'reasons'. And not just working for Ozpin." Tai added, making Winter smirk and Qrow look at his teammate in betrayal.

"Yeah but I taught the pipsqueak everything she knows and look how well she's doing at Beacon." Qrow defended himself as he pointed to his younger niece. Ruby just beamed which caused Winter and Tai to give him that one.

**He then held up UA's gym clothing and said in a neutral voice, "Alright, let's get to it. Put these on and head outside."**

**The screen cut to the field and the students all shouted a once, "A Quirk assessment test?!"**

"Quirks?" Ruby asked before she gasped. "This is the superhero universe!" She cheered.

That caused Weiss to sigh as she rested her face in her open hand, "Oh great and we just got you to calm down from the last time you saw this one."

Ruby just blew a raspberry at her partner and earned an eyeroll from the heiress.

**Ruby spoke up from Jaune's right at the front of the group, "What about the entrance ceremony? The orientation?"**

**Qrow was faced away from his class as he spoke, "If you're going to become a hero, you don't have time for such leisurely events. UA's selling point is how unrestricted its school traditions are." He finally looked over his shoulder at them. "That's also how the teachers run their classes."**

"That doesn't sound good. For any of them." Yang said out loud.

"What does that mean?" Qrow asked.

"I think she just knows how you tend to teach, Qrow." Goodwitch uttered with a small grin. That caused Qrow to huff and settle into his seat.

**That made a few of them uneasy as he turned to face them more properly, "You kids have been doing these since junior high too, right?" He held out a phone with a list of tests on them, "Physical fitness tests where you weren't allowed to use your Quirks. Honestly, I've always found that stupid."**

**He looked directly at Cardin, "Winchester, you finished at the top of the practical exam, right? In junior high, what was you best result for the softball throw?"**

"He finished at the top of the exam!?" Weiss shouted out in an indignant fury. She took pride in the fact that she was one of the top two of her class. And now hearing that Cardin Winchester, one of the lowest in their grade, was number one in a test was unacceptable.

"As much as I hate to say this, Weiss, that Cardin may just be slightly better than our own." Pyrrha tried to calm her down. After a few seconds they remembered the few interaction they had seen him in the last viewing. "Never mind." Pyrrha said.

"**67 meters." He answered.**

"**Then, try doing it with your Quirk." Qrow replied. Next thing they saw was Cardin standing in a circle away from the rest of the class. "You can do whatever you want as long as you stay in the circle. Hurry up. Give it what you've got."**

**Cardin stretched out his arm, "Alright, man, you asked for it…" He threw the ball as hard as he could while releasing an explosion from his hand, "Die!" He shouted as the ball went flying into the distance.**

"What the hell was that?" Blake asked.

"His Quirk, probably. Explosions aren't that unusual for a superpower." Ruby answered easily enough.

**As the ball was falling back to earth, Qrow continued to speak, "You all need to know your maximum capabilities." He turned to everyone once again, "That is the most rational way to figure out your potential as a Pro hero." He held up the scroll showing the distance the ball was thrown: 705.2 meters.**

"Damn. Have to admit, that was impressive." Qrow said with a whistle.

**That made the whole class start to speak to each other in excitement. "So this looks fun, huh?" Qrow asked. "You have three years to become a hero. Do you think it's gonna be all fun and game time?" That made Qrow smile for the first time since his appearance, "Idiots. Today you will compete in eight physical tests to gauge your potential. Whoever comes in last has none and will be expelled immediately." That floored the entire class.**

"What?!" all the students shouted in shock.

"Looks like your other isn't, what's the saying? Pulling any punches?" Ozpin said with a wry grin as he took another sip from his coffee mug.

Qrow shrugged, "Hey, being a hero is just as dangerous as being a Hunter. Those kids need to know how serious that is. Otherwise they will just get themselves killed." Winter looked at him in shock. That was actually a great point and it came from _Qrow_ of all people.

Ironwood just smiled at his Specialist, "I've told you before, Winter. Qrow is rough around the edges but he is one of the finest Huntsmen around." There was a brief silence, "Although, I do agree with you about his drinking."

**Jaune was silently freaking out, 'Immediate expulsion?! Eight tests?!' He raised his right hand up as his left gripped his wrist. He was shaking like crazy. 'I can only use One for All at either a hundred or zero percent. I can't control it yet…'**

"So if he uses his power, he'll break himself again…" Ruby said in a worried tone. She liked this world. Mostly because it showed her best friend as a superhero! Okay, an aspiring superhero. And without his power, he would be expelled! The rest of his friends were just as worried, each for a variety of reasons.

**The tests continued on until they were at their fifth test: the ball throw. Jaune was now in the circle and had the ball in hand. 'All that's left is this, the long-distance run, sit-ups and the seated toe-touch. It's now or never. At this rate, I'll be last.'**

**Qrow was watching him like a hawk, 'Here it comes.'**

**He stood there for a second and the support from his mother and All Might came back to his mind. He quickly pulled his arm back as the red lightning marks of One for All covered it. 'I won't let them down!' He threw the ball but it shockingly only landed 46 meters.**

"What just happened?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah, we all saw what he did against that giant robot. The ball should be long gone." Yang agreed with the champion.

**Jaune just stared in shock before looking down at his hand, "I was definitely trying to use it just now…"**

"**I erased your Quirk." Jaune turned to his teacher and was shocked. Qrow was now gripping a piece of the scarf around his neck while the rest was floating around him. His hair was also sticking straight up and his eyes were glowing a deep red. "The entrance exam was definitely not rational enough. Someone like you should never be allowed to enroll at this school."**

"Whoa…." Nora started. "Your Uncle looks _really_ intimidating like that."

"I'm wondering how he erased a Quirk." Ren said as he just looked at the screen in curiosity.

"What does he mean, that he doesn't belong at the school?" Blake asked again with a raised eyebrow.

"**You erased my Quirk?" Jaune asked in shock until his eyes widened in realization. He was now just staring at the yellow goggles around his teacher's neck. "Those goggles… I know you! You can look at someone and erase their powers. The Erasure Hero: Eraser Head!"**

"That would be quite the power." Ozpin said out loud.

"Indeed." Ironwood agreed. "Imagine how much easier it would be to apprehend wayward Hunters if we could negate their Semblances."

"I'm sorry but are we seriously just going to gloss over 'Eraser Head'?" Tai asked with a smirk.

That just made Qrow sigh and just rub his forehead. "I wish I could drink…" he grumbled.

"**From what I can tell, you can't control your Quirk, can you?" Qrow asked as he was still glaring down at Jaune. "Did you plan on breaking your bones again, counting on someone else on saving your useless body?"**

"**Th-that wasn't what I was planning to do-"**

**A length of the wraps went around Jaune and pulled him towards his teacher until there was only a foot or so separating them. Qrow continued to look down at him, unblinking. "No matter what your intentions are, you would be nothing more than a liability in battle." Jaune's eyes widened.**

"**You have the same reckless passion as another overzealous hero I know. One who saved a thousand people by himself and became a legend. But even with that drive, you're worthless if you can only land a single punch before breaking down. Sorry, Arc. With your power, there is no way you can become a hero."**

There was an extended silence, "He is right." Ironwood stated and Winter nodding with him.

His friends wanted to defend him but they all knew that it would be pointless since that Qrow was definitely right. Although, that didn't stop them from being upset or Ruby from growling slightly.

**Jaune had been looking at his teacher in shock before his eyes narrowed slightly. The wraps untangle him and return to their place around the hero's neck. Jaune looked down as Qrow closed his eyes, "I've returned your impractical Quirk. Take your final throw." He said as she walked away. "Hurry up and get it over with."**

**Jaune stood back in the circle with a more downcast look, "What should I do? Which should I choose?"**

"Come on, Jaune." Ruby muttered. "You can do this."

**Qrow just kept watching him, 'Is he going to use his Quirk and have to forfeit the rest of the events like a fool…" He pulled out a bottle of eyedrops. 'Or emit defeat and settle into last place?' He put a drop in each eye as he was thinking to himself. 'Either way, he doesn't belong here."**

'**I still can't control my power. But I just can't give up either. Even All Might said that it wouldn't happen overnight.' He clenched his eyes, 'I have to try something, no matter what the consequences!' He looked up wide eyed in desperation.**

**Qrow just narrowed his eyes, 'A waste of a Quirk.'**

All the students were on the edge of their seats, all wanting and hoping for their friend to pull out a miracle. While Ruby was close to giving that version of her Uncle a piece of her mind. That is, if it was possible.

**Jaune pulled his arm back and started to bring it forward for a throw as the world started to slowdown. 'It's just as Mr. Branwen says. If I can't control my Quirk, there's no way I'll ever become a hero!"**

**All Might, who was hiding behind a nearby corner stepped out slightly, "Hey, hey, is he serious?"**

"Looks like Bart couldn't help but wonder about his successor." Goodwitch said with a sigh.

"**I have to work harder than anyone else here if I want to exceed!" The screen focused on his hand. "Even if I have a lot to learn, I'll focus on what I can do right now!" The screen then focused on his index finger as it was covered in the red lightning of One for All. 'Smash!' he shouted in his head as he threw the ball, sending it flying with a massive air pressure behind it.**

**The class was stunned by the throw. Jaune stood there gritting his teeth as his arm hung by his side. But only his index finger was burnt and broken. 'It hurts but as much as before…"**

**The ball landed and Qrow looked down at his phone to see the distance it went. It read: 705.3 meters. "Mr. Branwen." Jaune said out loud and Qrow looked over to him. He turned to his teacher, gritting his teeth and making a fist with his broken finger, "You see, I'm still standing!"**

"He did it!" Ruby shouted in joy as she jumped up from her seat.

"Way to go, Cute Boy Jaune!" Nora shouted as she hugged Ren tightly, nearly crushing his spine.

"And he beat Cardin's score!" Yang shouted as she pumped her fist. "That jerk is gonna be pissed."

**Qrow just looked at him with a grin, "This kid…"**

**All Might stepped out more from the corner to look at Jaune. 'I was worried about you, young man, but you're doing a great job! You knew you had to use One for All but not at full power otherwise you'd be incapacitated. So, you propelled the ball at the last possible point of contact by sending the power of One for All shooting through your fingertip, minimizing the injury to your body while maximizing the power…!'**

**All Might grin widened, 'What the heck, young Jaune!? How did you go and get so cool!?'**

"I must admit, that was ingenious of Mr. Arc." Goodwitch said with a small grin as she pushed her glasses back into place.

"It seems like something that is a common thread between most of the versions we've seen of him so far." Ozpin said in agreeance. "And I think that gives more validation to my decision to allow him into Beacon."

"So, this next one has to be the one we will see more of in the future?" Pyrrha asked out loud. "I wonder what this one will be like."

**The screen came back to life and showing a very nice apartment. They heard the sound of the door being unlocked and soon saw Yang walk into the apartment followed shortly by Jaune. As he was walking in, Yang turned back to him with a smile. "You didn't change anything when I moved in with Ren." He said with a smile.**

"This appears to be another universe where Mr. Arc and Ms. Xiao Long are in a relationship." Goodwitch informed everyone. That earned a smile from Yang and an annoyed look from Pyrrha. They had seen many worlds so far and none of them had her with her crush. It was starting to get frustrating.

**Yang had her back to the couch as she looked at him, "I, um, couldn't bring myself to do it." That made him smile wider and snort slightly. "You know, we've been through a lot these last three years but getting stuck in a musical?" She asked with a smirk as she leant against the back of the couch behind her.**

"Trapped in a musical?" Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow. "What?"

Blake shrugged, "Phoenix did say we would see more later. We can ask him about it when we do."

"Fair point." The Heiress answered.

**The two laughed lightly as Jaune shrugged his shoulders while shaking his head, "Music Meister said that it could've been anything. That I create that world because…"**

"**You were watching them." Yang finished his thought for him. He just smiled at her for knowing him so well. "Because of us." She said as she looked down at the ground. **

"Looks like the two of them hit a rough patch." Nora said out loud.

"Well, maybe they'll work it out. It's possible, right?" Ruby said hopefully. She still liked the idea of Jaune being part of her family. Even if it was a different universe.

"**You know, my mom used to always say that musicals have the power to make everything better." Jaune said with a grin.**

"**Did it work?" Yang asked, sounding very nervous. **

"**Um…." He started before he cleared his throat. He started to reach into his coat pocket for something as Yang just watched him in confusion. He pulled out his phone and started to go through it as he looked up at her with a smile. That just made her confusion grow more. The screen of his phone was showed and it was showing that Jaune was about to play a song called, Runnin' Home to You. He hit play as the music began to play and he put it on the table beside him.**

Weiss' eyes widened in realization. A memory stirring from before the dance. "He's not going to do that, is he?"

"Do what?" Winter asked her sister from behind. But most of them had a sneaking suspicion of what he was about to do.

**He looked to her before he began to sing. "**_**Can't say how the days will unfold," **_**Yang's eyebrows shot up as she smiled more.**_** "Can't change what the future may hold. But, I want you in it. Every hour, every minute."**_

"He is!" Weiss shouted. But she had to admit that this version of Jaune was definitely better at singing.

"That is so romantic." Blake said with a grin as she looked at her partner. "Don't you agree?" Yang had a small blush on her cheeks and a small smile as she watched the screen. She knew Blake was teasing her but her partner was right. It may be cliché, cheesy, corny and several other adjectives. But it was romantic, nonetheless.

**He started to slowly make his way over to her a she kept singing, "**_**This world can race by far too fast. Hard to see while it's all flying past. But, it's clear now. When you're standing here now. I am meant to be wherever you are next to me."**_

**He gently pulled her arms over his neck as his hands settled on her waist. "**_**All I want to do. Is come running home to you. Come running home to you. And all my life I promise to, Keep running home to you. Keep running home, To you."**_

**He gently broke away from her before taking her hand and leading her to the windows. "**_**And I could see it, Right from the start, Right from the start." **_**He sat down in front of the window and she joined him just a second later. "**_**That you would be, Be my light in the dark, Light in the dark. Oh, you gave me no other choice, But to love you."**_

By this point most of the romantics in the audience, both openly or hidden, were all smiling at the scene. It was always nice to see young love come to fruition.

**Yang was just looking at him with that heartfelt smile and watery eyes. Jaune gently ran his fingers against her cheek. "**_**All I want to do, Is come running home to you. Come running home to you." **_**He gently caressed her other cheek and wiped away the tear in the corner of her eye. "**_**And all my life I promise to, Keep running home to you. Keep running home, Home to you."**_

"_**Can't say how the days will unfold."**_** He reached into his other coat pocket as he began to stand. "**_**Can't change what the future may hold." **_**That's when Yang saw it was a ring and she covered her mouth in shock.**_** "But, I want you in it." **_** She looked up at him in shock as he smiled as he dropped to a knee. "**_**Every hour, every minute."**_

"**Yang Xiao Long. Will you marry me?" he asked her, not a bit of hesitation.**

**She pulled her hands away and said breathlessly, "Yes." Jaune laughed in complete joy. "Yes." She said again. He quickly slid the ring onto the finger of his fiancé as tears gathered in both their eyes. As soon as it was on, both stood up and hugged each other.**

"Oh come on!" Pyrrha shouted as her frustration boiled over.

Although everyone saw when Yang threw both her hands into the air and cheered, "Yes!"

Everyone turned to her as she slowly lowered her arms and chuckled nervously. Her eyes moved to Pyrrha who was just staring back at her. As their eyes met, they both knew what was going on and what would have to happen. The two stood up without breaking eye contact and both walked out of the room together. The members of their teams just looked at each other before quickly chasing after them. As they left, Tai ran a hand down his face, "Oh, great. This is not going to be good."

Qrow pulled out his flask and took a measured sip. "That is putting it very mildly, Tai."


	9. Racing to the Future

**Source Material: The Flash- Season 3: Episodes 20, 21 & 22.**

* * *

It was quiet throughout the manor known to a few as the Phoenix Roost. Except for one room in particular. The sounds of heated combat could be heard. The room in question was the sparring room, the only room in the entire manor that allowed guests to use their weapons freely. The room was one of the biggest in the manor and the center was mostly taken up by a large circular ring that would form a barrier up to the ceiling to protect anyone outside of it from the people within. And as soon as it was up, it would create a copy of the weapon the people inside would use.

The two people fighting were none other than Pyrrha and Yang. Both covered in bruises, scratches, and burns from their respective firearms. The two's fight had lulled into a temporary standstill and were now separated from one another. Both were breathing heavily but had a look of pure determination in their eyes. Ignoring the calls from the rest of their teams from outside the barrier, trying to calm them down.

It had been a tough fight for both combatants so far. Pyrrha's skill and Semblance were putting the brawler through the ringer but Yang's brute strength and ferocity were pushing the champion to her limit. But neither were going to call it quits. "Just give it up, Pyrrha." Yang said out of breath, "You can't stop me."

Pyrrha glared over at the blonde, "You should take your own advice. I've liked Jaune longer than anyone, I'm not going to let you just try and take him from me."

Yang angrily rolled her eyes, "Yeah, you've liked him longer but you've done _nothing_ about it. For months you could've told him and tried to be with him but you haven't. And I'm sorry but I'm not going to wait around or give up because of that."

"That's easy for you to say! What relationship do you have with him!? You two have a nearly one-sided friendship so if he turns you down, you lose nothing! If it fails for me, I lose my best friend!"

Yang just looked at her for a bit, "Pyrrha everyone put's themselves on the line when they ask someone out. I never imagined you were a coward."

Pyrrha just gave Yang a near hate filled glare, "That's rich coming from you. I may be afraid but at least I'm better than you. How many people have you lead on or broke their hearts? I'm sure as hell not letting you do that to my partner just because you liked a few of his alternates."

The blonde just stared at Pyrrha in shock, not expecting her to go there. That was when she glared back, "You think I'm that shallow?"

"Why else would you like him so suddenly. Think of how many times you put him down with your jokes. Or should I say veiled insults. You've had no interest in him until we came here."

Light and heat exploded around Yang as her Semblance finally kicked in. Her blood red eyes stared down the champion. "Think what you want but it won't change a thing. What you're afraid of is that Jaune will say yes to me in a heartbeat and you'll lose your chance."

Pyrrha's own glare intensified as all the metal in the room was covered in a black outline and was slowly being bent out of shape. "And you know for a fact, that once he sees you don't actually like him for himself, he'll never want anything to do with you again."

The two just stared each other down in a tense silence before both charged at each other with everything they had. Yang leapt forward with a battle cry and her right arm pulled back, ready to throw the full force of her Semblance into this punch. Pyrrha ran forward, her shield in front of her and braced by her own Semblance to take everything Yang had as her xiphos was ready to deal the finishing blow. At that point, their five friends were shouting at them to stop. But before they could meet, a tornado of orange flames erupted from between them hiding them from view.

The watchers had to squint from the sudden light and heat that erupted from the ring, even though the barrier was still up. The flames were gone almost as soon as they appeared, leaving orange embers slowly falling from above. Standing between the two fighters was none other than Phoenix himself.

Both of his hands were out and stopping the two fighters. His left hand was pointed at Yang, stopping her punch with his index finger. His right was doing the same for Pyrrha, except he used his index and middle finger to catch her blade from traveling further. Both students stared wide eyed at their host as their respective Semblances dissipated from their lack of concentration. He sighed, "What were you two doing?" He asked calmly.

Neither of them spoke up. But then again, neither knew how exactly to respond to the question posed by the vastly powerful being in front of them. He sighed again, "Gone for five minutes…" he said to himself. The fingers still holding their weapons produced an orange fire that surrounded Milo and the right Ember Celica. Once they were completely surrounded the flames shot over to Akouo and the twin of the gauntlet, before all four disappeared with the flames.

With that he lowered his hands and looked over to Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Nora, and Ren, all staring at him in still unshaken shock, "Can you five head back to the viewing room? We won't be long." He gave them a small smile before Yang, Pyrrha and himself were engulfed in orange fire and were gone.

The five just stared at the ring as the barrier slowly came down. Nora was naturally the one to break the silence, "They are in so much trouble."

* * *

The orange flames disappeared allowing Pyrrha and Yang to see that they looked to be in more of lounge area. Carpeted floors, wooden walls, gently lighting from the ceiling and four couches situated around a large coffee table. They looked around before they noticed Phoenix walking over to one of the couches. He sat down and motioned to the one across from himself, "Please." He said simply.

The two then slowly made their way around and sit across from him. As they did he just looked at the two of them for a few seconds, making the two feel on edge. "Before we start, I know _why_ you two were fighting." The two gained embarrassed and guilty expressions. He then sighed, "Honestly, it's not really a shock. I knew it was a possibility."

The two looked at each other before turning back to him, "You knew that me and Pyrrha would get into a fight? How?"

"Well, this may shock you but I'm not the first Writer to bring versions of yourselves to see other worlds." That made them drop their jaws. He nodded, "Yup, I'm definitely not the first and I probably won't be the last. Although, you don't need to worry about that. But my point is, I've seen that viewing other worlds can sometimes bring out the hidden feelings you or others have towards Jaune."

"Your saying this is a common occurrence?" Pyrrha asked, still processing everything.

He made a so-so gesture with his hand, "Depends. Sometimes these feelings are just attraction towards a certain version of Jaune but those usually burn out quickly. Although, a good portion of the time, they are genuine feelings. Being away from your world and your normal stresses gives people the opportunity to let those feelings become known to you." He then turned to Yang, "Yours happen to be the latter, so any doubts you may've had can be put to rest."

Yang sighed with a small grin at that. She was almost certain that her feelings were real but it was good to know for certain. Pyrrha looked at Phoenix with a raised eyebrow, "Sorry, Phoenix, but how do you know that?"

He shrugged, "I looked into your universe before I brought you all here. I wanted to be sure of a couple of things before I did so. Mostly to see how exactly this opportunity would affect your future moving forward but I digress. When I did, I saw that there was a good chance that some of you could have your hidden feelings brought to the surface."

"Are you saying the rest like Jaune too!?" Both shouted in shock.

Phoenix couldn't help the chuckle that escaped him, "They have the possibility of realizing they like him. But nothing is guaranteed. And now onto the more severe issue: You can't just fight over Jaune like that." He had a more serious look in his eyes now, "Say Jaune had feelings for whoever of you lost and he couldn't have the chance to see if there was anything deeper there." He waited a few seconds before continuing, "Jaune is a person who needs to make his own decisions. He isn't a prize."

They both looked down in shame and Phoenix sighed again, "Look, I understand why you were doing what you did. Trust me, I get it. But that isn't the way to handle this situation."

"Then what should we do?" Pyrrha asked, desperately needing an answer. Yang looked up as well, wanting an answer just as badly.

"Simple really. When you get back, you two need to pull Jaune to the side and tell him." Their eyes widened again. "Jaune needs to know and afterwards you all can talk it over maturely from there. Whether that means he picks one of you or neither and you need to respect that."

The two looked down in silence before Pyrrha spoke up, "He's right."

Yang sighed, "I know he is." She looked up at Pyrrha before she looked to the side while playing with her hair, "Look, Pyrrha, I'm sorry for calling you a coward. That was a low blow."

She just shook her head, "No, you were right. I've been afraid to talk to Jaune about my feelings for him." Her one hand went up to grip her upper arm as she looked to the side as well. "I'm sorry I call you shallow and… well…"

Yang just sighed, "That hurt but I can see where you were coming from. I really haven't painted myself in the best light with all the empty flirting." She looked back and gave her a small grin, "What do say? Bury the hatchet and move on?"

Pyrrha looked back up with a small smile as well, "I'd like that. And no matter how this thing with Jaune turns out, we can still be friends?"

Yang chuckled, "Absolutely." She then pulled Pyrrha into a hug which she easily returned.

Phoenix just looked at them with a relieved smile, 'One crisis averted. Let's hope another doesn't come up too soon.' He then had a thought before he shook his head, 'No. Let's not mention the harem possibility. If it comes up, it'll be their idea. I'm not getting involved in that. Not again.'

* * *

Back in the viewing room, the visitors from Remnant were waiting for Phoenix to reappear with Yang and Pyrrha. The other five students had come back not too long ago and told the adult's that he had taken them somewhere. Well, Nora did. Tai and Qrow were worried for a second or two but both knew if Phoenix had meant any of them any harm, he would've done so. So, they just waited patiently.

That is when an orange flame manifested in front of the screen. Yang and Pyrrha walked out of it with Phoenix a few steps behind them. After he had walked out, the flames extinguished themselves. Pyrrha was currently talking to Yang, "They don't even feel like fire. It doesn't even feel hot."

Yang nodded, "I mean my Semblance has a similar effect but there is still heat radiating off of me. Those flames feel like something altogether different."

The others just watched as the two went over to the concession stand to grab drinks and anything they were craving. They were just having a pleasant conversation as they did so. A stark contrast from a few minutes ago. They then turned to Phoenix who had taken his usual seat, giving him grateful looks. He just nodded with a smile.

When the two were done and took their seats, Phoenix cleared his throat. "Alright, let's move on. This world will continue on the world you got a glimpse of in my absence."

"So, what's the deal with that world. Besides, Jaune being engaged to Yang?" Nora asked.

Phoenix just smirked, "I think I'll let someone else explain that." Without elaborating, Phoenix opened up to the previously bookmarked page and the usual fireball flew from the pages and into the screen.

**The screen opened up to an eye in the sky view of a city. As they were looking on, they saw a yellow bolt racing through the streets. "My name is Jaune Arc and I am the fastest man alive." The screen focused on the bolt and saw that it was a man in a red suit running at unbelievable speeds. "To the outside world, I'm an ordinary forensic scientist…" A scene of him getting struck by lightning, followed by him spinning a vial in his hand at hyper speed were shown. "But secretly, with the help of my friends at STAR Labs, I fight other metahumans like me." Another scene of himself with Tai, Yang, Ren, and Weiss were shown.**

"**In an attempt to stop the evil Speedster Savitar I was accidentally thrust into the future." Another image of a metal suit with glowing silver lights was running at the screen followed by Jaune in his suit being thrown out of a portal. "And I saw him murder the woman I love." They then saw the same person, Savitar, run Yang through from behind before disappearing. "But I won't let that happen. I am going to do everything in my power to change the future. And I'm the only one fast enough to keep her alive. I am the Flash!"**

"What just happened?!" Nora shouted in shock.

"Yeah, how does Jaune have superspeed!?" Ruby added.

"I'm going to be _killed_?!" Yang supplied.

Phoenix sighed, "Maybe that wasn't the best idea. Alright let's go over this quickly. This Jaune had a rough childhood. His mother was murdered and his father was falsely charged for the crime. So Tai, who was a close friend to the family and Police Detective, took him in and raised him along with Yang."

"Another reality where he has a crappy start?" Yang asked in frustration. "What does the Multiverse have against him?"

"Yeah. Almost all of the ones we've seen have been like that." Nora agreed.

Phoenix decided to not answer that. "So, Jaune spent his life becoming a forensic scientist to help clear his father's name. Eventually, an accident happened that gave Jaune superspeed and connected him to the Speed Force, a cosmic power that has existed across all of time. These type of individuals have been dubbed Speedsters."

"Speedsters? Really?" Weiss asked, not entirely impressed by the name.

"How fast can he go!?" Ruby asked in excitement.

"Quick enough that he can travel through time." He smirked at all the shock expressions on everyone's face. "Anyways, a certain Speedster from the future was imprisoned in the Speed Force but has now been freed to get revenge on Jaune. By killing Yang…. This Speedster is known as Savitar, the God of Speed."

That left most of them silent. None more so than Ozpin, "How does Mr. Arc plan on stopping a God?"

"Well, that's for you all to see." Phoenix stated and the screen came to life again.

**The world opened again to show Jaune, Ruby and Yang sitting on the couch and looking at Ruby's scroll. That was when the front door opened and Tai came walking in. He looked over at his three kids and smiled, "Ruby!" he said excitedly.**

"**Hey, Dad." Ruby said as she got up to go hug him. Jaune got off the couch to make room for Tai as the two broke apart.**

"**How was it?" Tai asked his daughter.**

"**It was great. Penny says Hi." She answered as she walked over to the couch. Tai was busy taking off his jacket before he would do the same. **

"**Did you talk to Glynda?" Jaune asked as he looked at his adopted father.**

"Glynda? You mean Professor Goodwitch?" Blake asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The very same." Phoenix replied. "In this world, Glynda is the DA, so her and Tai have worked together many times. Recently, their relationship has become more romantic." The two aforementioned people looked at each other with looks on contemplation. "Just to clarify, Tai's kids in this world are completely okay with him trying to find love."

"**I did." Tai answered as he slowly walked over to the couch. "Told her everything. Told her I love her. Told her that you were the Flash and that Ruby was Kid Flash." He finally sat down between Yang and Ruby, "Don't worry, she told me she wouldn't tell anyone."**

"Wait a minute, I'm a superhero too?!" Ruby asked in excitement.

"Yes. You gained your Speed after Jaune and he has been teaching you what he knows. You've been picking up his teachings quickly and you even have the capabilities of being faster than Jaune." That made Ruby's eyes grow wide and shine with excitement as she smiled a megawatt grin. That made her team chuckle good heartedly at their leader's actions.

**That made them all chuckle. "What changed your mind?" Jaune asked as he sat down on the arm of the couch next to Ruby.**

"**You." Tai said before he looked at all three of them. "All of you. I mean love's the only thing we got in this world. Without it, nothing really matters." With that Yang looked down with a hum. "And who knows what we would become if we didn't have it?"**

"Kinda cheesy, Tai." Qrow said with a smirk. "But I think your other self is absolutely right."

Winter turned to him, "I'm surprise that _you_ of all people would agree with that."

Qrow looked at her, with an almost hurt expression, "What's that supposed to mean? I may be a lone hunter but I love my nieces more than anything." That made Yang grin and Ruby beam at their Uncle's admittance.

**Tai then started to talk to Ruby but Jaune wasn't paying any attention as he stared off and what Tai said echoed in his mind, '**_**I mean love's the only thing we got in this world. Without it, nothing really matters.**_**' The memory of himself proposing to Yang came to his mind with that. '**_**And who knows what we would become if we didn't have it?**_**' The memory of Yang being killed in the future by Savitar with him unable to stop it. **

'_**You did this to me, Jaune.**_**' Savitar spoke in a distorted voice.**

'_**I created you?**_**' Jaune asked. **

'_**I created myself.**_**' Savitar replied before an image of him coming to this reality was shown. **

"That's what Savitar sounds like?" Nora asked. "Ouch, my throat hurts just by thinking about that."

"It could be a voice modifier." Ironwood suggested. "Some people do use them to disguise their voices from others. It's not so outlandish to think there may be one in his suit."

"But isn't this Savitar a god? Why would he need one?" Nora added on. The General had no response to that question and they settled on watching the world unfold.

**A similar voice of Jaune's was heard but sounding older, '**_**You're even going to create Time Remnants of yourself but he's gonna kill them all.**_**'**

'_**Savitar told me everything you'd say.**_**' Weiss spoke in a distorted tone after Killer Frost took over. '**_**You two are more alike than you realize.**_**' A scene of Jaune fighting Savitar is shown with Savitar defeating him easily. '**_**Savitar knows every move you're gonna make. He's always one step ahead of you. This is all history to him.**_**'**

"Why does my voice sound like that?" Weiss asked.

"You are also a Metahuman but your powers are tied to an alternate personality." Phoenix explained. "At this point, your other persona, calling herself Killer Frost, has taken over and has joined Savitar." Weiss looked appalled by the fact that her other self has joined the man trying to kill Yang.

**Ren's voice was heard next, '**_**This wasn't just brushing up on days to come. This was precise. Like Savitar was there.**_**'**

**Finally Neptune was shown but Savitar's voice was coming from him, "**_**I am the Future, Flash.**_**"**

"Neptune?" Weiss asked in shock.

"Neptune is not Savitar. Savitar just used him as a puppet to help enact his plans. He is as much a victim as everyone else." Phoenix spoke as he took a sip from his coffee.

**Jaune was just staring until Yang called him, "Jaune." He just turned to her, "Are you okay?"**

**He looked to Tai and Ruby before turning back to her and then down, "Yeah. " That made Yang look at him in concern. He turned back with a smile, "Um, I'm sorry." He slowly got up from the arm of the couch. "I'll- I'll be right back." He told them as he went to the door. As soon as it was open, he sped away the door closing behind him. Leaving the three to look at each other in confusion and concern. **

**Jaune was in his suit running through the city before he came to neighborhood and came to a stop in the middle of the street. "I'm here!" He said out loud before he took a deep breath, "I'm HERE!"**

**He saw the silver lightning move past him and Savitar standing across from him. He fully turned to his enemy and took off her hood. "I know who you are."**

"He does?" Pyrrha asked.

"**It's about time." Savitar simply responded in that same distorted voice. **

"**Yes it is." Jaune replied as he walked closer. Savitar didn't even move. "Everything about you is about Time, isn't it? The Past, the Present, The Future. You know all of it, right? And you know everything about me. About Tai. About Ruby. And YANG! You know our strengths; you know our fears." His anger slowly bled away to just show pain. "You know how much we love each other. And you know how to use that against us." **

Ozpin was having flashbacks of his ex-wife and greatest enemy. She has similar methods and that was why she was so dangerous. He cleared his throat, "It is difficult to deal with an enemy like that."

"But who could it be though?" Yang asked out loud.

"**All this time, we thought we couldn't stop you because you were one step ahead." He said as he pointed to the armored man. "But that's not it! You don't just **_**know**_** what's gonna happen to us. You were there." He said with certainty as he stopped walking closer. **

"He was?" Ren asked this time.

**He took a deep breath, "You lived it. You remember. When you were **_**me**_**." **

Silence. That was what the theater was filled with. Phoenix looked at the viewers, seeing them stare at the screen in shock or just disbelief. "What?" Ruby asked.

**There was a silence before Savitar knelt down and his armor started to open. Fist the shoulder pads, the helmet, before the back and legs opened. That was when the person inside stood up. A man wearing a black jacket. "Like I told you from the beginning…" Jaune's voice spoke up before he looked up. Revealing a slightly older Jaune with longer hair and the right side of his face severely scarred. "I am the Future Flash." He said as he smirked at himself. **

"It is him…" Yang said above a whisper. The person she was crushing on and her fiancé in that world was her killer? How?

"W-why would Jaune do that?" Ruby asked, tearing up at this reality.

"Better question: _How_ is this possible?" Ironwood asked.

"**It's like looking in a mirror." Savitar said as he walked around his armor. "Well…" He motioned to his scarred face, "Not quite."**

"**You're not so scary without your armor." Jaune said as he stared himself down.**

**Savitar just smirked at his former self before looking to his armor. "What can I say?" He turned back to Jaune and motioned to him, "I outgrew red."**

"**I know what you are." Jaune continued. "You're a Time Remnant."**

"A what?" Nora asked as her and everyone else turned to Phoenix. He said nothing though so they turned their attention back to the screen.

**The two started to circle each other, both walking clockwise. "A Temporal Duplicate." Savitar corrected. "Created when you run back in Time and meet yourself."**

"Oh." Several people said at once.

"**You created a Remnant last year to defeat Zoom. Your **_**duplicate died**_** defending the Multiverse and you continued your happy life." He then pointed back to Jaune, "And it would've stayed that way, but then you decided to play God." Savitar said angrily. "You created Flashpoint and changed everything."**

"**I went to the future." Jaune stated. "My future self told me, he created Time Remnants to stop you. That you slaughtered them all."**

"**All but one." He looked back over to the Flash. "Me. I lived." He then pointed a finger up and said in frustration and anger, "But a funny thing happened when I did. You, Tai, Ruby, Ren. You all shunned me because I wasn't the **_**true**_** Jaune Arc. I was an aberration." He said the last bit in a mocking tone. "A **_**disposable**_** hero. Future you failed to mention that, didn't he?"**

"So… it's our fault?" Ruby asked out loud with teary eyes. Another world where they betrayed Jaune but this time, he became the villain.

"Oh, Jaune…" Pyrrha said sadly, seeing how far this version of her leader had fallen.

"**How did you become Savitar?" Jaune questioned.**

**They were both back to where they started and stopped circling each other. "I was broken. And alone. I wanted the pain to end. And that's when I realized the truth, Jaune." He then had more excited and nearly manic tone as he spoke. "God feels no pain. All I had to do was become one."**

"He wants to become a god?" Ozpin asked in a whisper, having more flashbacks of Salem. Glynda and Qrow were starting to pick up on Ozpin's slight shaking.

"You okay, Oz?" Qrow asked.

He slowly nodded not taking his eyes off the screen. "Yes, I am. I'm just trying to process all of this."

"**And I only need two more things." He said as he raised two fingers. He lowered one as he spoke, "For Yang to die. So that you are driven so far into the dark, that I can be born."**

"**And the other?" he said angrily.**

**Savitar looked to the side with a smirk before looking back to his other, "It may sound ironic given who I'm talking to, but I'll keep that one to myself."**

That would've been right up Yang's alley for comedy but right now, she was too distraught over what was going on in this world.

**Jaune raised his hand and it was vibrating constantly, blurring it. "What happens if I kill myself?" Savitar looked concerned for a second as Jaune continued, "If I die then you'll never be created."**

"What is he doing?" Ironwood asked.

"Speedsters can vibrate themselves to the natural frequency of air. That allows them to phase through nearly anything." Phoenix explained. "Now imagine what would happen if they phased their hand into someone's chest and stopped." That made the students pale.

"Would this Jaune really go that far?" Tai asked.

"Yang is the love of his life. At least in this world." The Writer reiterated. That was enough said for everyone. Especially the ones that knew him so well.

**Savitar just shrugged, "Cause and effect is a tricky thing." He said as he turned his back to Jaune. "Didn't work so well for Cardin, did it?" He asked as he turned back. "Shot himself in the chest, Thawne is still kicking around." He then raised both his fingers, "See, that's the thing about Time Travel, Jaune." Jaune stopped phasing his hand. "The more you do it." He spread his arms out in a grand gesture, "The less the rules apply to you." He finished with a smirk.**

"Why did Mr. Winchester take his own life?" Goodwitch asked.

Phoenix sighed, "He was the ancestor of an evil Speedster from the future. Jaune's greatest enemy, Eobard Thawne, The Reverse Flash. Cardin tried to stop him by killing himself but it didn't work, regrettably."

"What was his relation to everyone?" Ozpin asked.

"How actually was Tai's partner and dated Yang for a time." That made the brawler look at him in shock before she started to turn green. "Before you throw up all over the floor, that Cardin isn't the jackass you all know and put up with. This version was actually a relatively nice guy and police officer. He did kill himself to try to save everyone." That brought a brief silence to the group.

"How bad was that guy?" Qrow asked after a bit.

"Well, his lifelong goal is to kill the Flash no matter what. And he was the one that killed his mother in the hope that the trauma would break him." Phoenix shook his head. "It's ironic, in a cosmic sense, that the Reverse Flash is the one that created his archnemesis by trying to kill him in the first place…"

**Jaune took a step forward, "But us having this conversation now, we're changing the future." His voice had a hint of desperation.**

"**Are we?" Savitar asked. "My ascendancy is nearing." His tone now deathly serious. "When I have control of all of Time, it will be you…" He pointed at him again. "Who is **_**abandoned **_**and **_**forgotten**_**." He then turned away and started to walk towards his armor.**

**Before he could, Jaune ran in front of him and uppercut him. Sending him into the air then to the ground. Jaune walked over and put Savitar in a headlock as he was trying to get up. "You're gonna die right here!" Jaune said angrily.**

"Whoa, this Jaune is really scary when he's angry." Nora said, slightly scared.

"And considering how powerful this version is, that means it is completely founded." Weiss added, also shivering slightly.

"**I forgot to tell you." Savitar said as his armor stood up behind them, "My suit's cooler than yours." It then walked over and grabbed Jaune by the shoulder before throwing him off of his usual wearer. It then walked over to Jaune and tried to stomp on him. He was able to hold it back before throwing the leg to the side, sending it off balance. It tried to punch him but Jaune stopped it before punching it in the chest and off him.**

"Why do the bad guys get all the cool things?" Ruby whined.

**Savitar quickly ran towards his armor. It opened up as he got close to it and he jumped inside of it at high speed. Once he was in it, his lightning turned silver and he started to run in a circle at high speeds. Jaune saw this and quickly got to his feet and did the same thing, not too far away. **

"What are they doing?" Tai asked, surprised by their actions.

**When both were ready, Savitar started to run towards his other self. Jaune was doing the same and leapt into the air with a shout as he threw his arms forward, releasing the lightning he gathered. Savitar did the exact same, his lighting being silver. The two bolts of lightning collided and erupted in a massive explosion, blasting the two away.**

Tai's jaw dropped along with many other people. Pretty much everyone but Ren, Ironwood and Ozpin. "That answer your question?" Phoenix asked rhetorically with a smirk.

"Imagine what I could do if I absorbed _that_…" Nora said in awe. That didn't make any of them feel any better.

**Jaune rolled across the ground before coming to a stop. He looked up to see the area they were just in burning but Savitar no longer there.**

"Damn it." Tai said out loud, "He got away."

**Jaune was sitting on a treadmill in his training room after telling the others about exactly who Savitar was. He just wanted to be alone to process it fully. That was when Yang walked into the room and leant against the railing across from him. He looked up to her but didn't say a thing. "What was he like?" she asked.**

"**Broken." Was the exact word she used.**

"Well, he wasn't wrong." Ren said. "That is a version of Jaune that was broken in every way but with noting and no one to help him out."

"Are you trying to make us feel bad for the guy trying to kill Yang?" Weiss asked in mild annoyance as she turned to him.

He shook his head, "No. I'm just putting it all into perspective. No one is born to be a villain."

Ozpin nodded, "Wise words indeed, Mr. Ren."

**Yang looked off to the side before getting off the railing. "You know…" she sighed as she started to make her way over to him. "All this time I thought that Savitar is this… monster." She sat down beside her fiancé as he kept just looking forward, lost. "It's hard to picture what might happen, and it being you that…" Jaune looked down at that and Yang realized what she just implied. "I-I know it's not you I'm…"**

Yang sighed in frustration, "Of course I put my foot in my mouth."

**Jaune looked back up with that as he took a breath, "Part of him is." He looked to her as he continued. "He said it was like looking in a mirror and he's right. But not just the way that he looked. It was…" He took a second, "It was his eyes. The pain that was inside them. I've seen it in myself."**

**He closed his eyes, "When I think about how my parents died so violently…" He opened his eyes and looked away as he shook his head slightly, "Sometimes I want to repay that violence with more violence. I want to make someone else hurt as much as I do."**

"**But you don't ever do that." Yang said immediately and he looked down again. "You're not him. You're a good person."**

"That's an understatement." Pyrrha sighed. "Sometimes, he's too much of a good guy for his own good."

"Maybe. But that's what makes him our Fearless Leader." Nora said with a large smile.

"Also what made us fall for him, Pyrrha." Yang said with a smile despite what was going on.

She managed to return it, "Fair enough."

"**But it's in there, you know. That's in me." He easily countered. "That power, that pain, that's where Savitar comes from. From loss. From losing you."**

"**You're not going to lose me." She said with finality as she put her arm around his shoulders. "Do you hear me? We are going to stop Savitar." Jaune sighed deeply and she continued. "You are not alone. He is. And he is not a god."**

"Damn straight." Yang grinned. "I may not be a Metahuman but I'm not going to just sit by and not help out my fiancé."

"You know he's not technically your fiancé." Blake said with a sideways glance.

"Shush." She said to her partner. "It's a matter of principle. And me and Pyrrha agreed to talk to Jaune when we got back and see what's happen. So, there may be a chance at some point."

Tai sighed, "Yang, you're still seventeen. Please don't be planning a wedding yet. I'm too young for that." That got a few chuckles from the people who knew him best.

**She gently took her hand away and he spoke up again, "Bart told me that we're not gods." She looked back to him. "He was wrong."**

"Bart?" Goodwitch asked. "Is he talking about our Bart?"

"Yes. In this world, he is an older and more experienced Speedster. Acts as a mentor for Jaune on occasions."

"**We could be. Any Speedster and it wouldn't take much. When that love that we feel in our hearts is drowned in anger… when the bad memories outweigh the good ones. What am I going to have to become to stop him?" He asked himself in fear. Yang didn't have an answer for him and the two just sat in a silence.**

"He does have a point." Phoenix said as he took a sip from his coffee.

"What do you mean?" Ruby asked him.

"Any Huntsman or Huntress could wreak havoc if they really wanted to. They have years of training, advanced weapons, aura, and Semblances. Honestly, what could a normal person do against that?"

"But we wouldn't do that." Ruby tried to defend them.

Phoenix nodded, "I know. But that doesn't mean everyone has the same moral core. There is saying: power corrupts and absolute power, corrupts absolutely." His eyes slowly moved to look into the General's. "Just something to keep in mind." They kept the eye contact for a few more seconds before the Writer turned back to his screen.

**Savitar was out of his suit and working on it as Weiss, currently Killer Frost walked over to him, "What are you doing?"**

**He sighed as he kept working, "The Flash damaged my suit in our fight." **

**Weiss walked closer, "Pretty badass. Very godlike."**

"I think that's the first time I ever heard you curse before, Weiss." Yang said.

"Indeed." Winter said. "I don't think I've ever heard my sister use such language."

Weiss crossed her arms with a huff, "Of course not. I am above such things." That made Yang and Blake roll their eyes slightly at their teammates antics.

**He just scoffed as he walked around it. "Well, dress for the job you want." He knelt down to start working on the front.**

"**We're a team, right?" she asked. "Jaune and Weiss, at it again."**

**He just looked up at her and pointed to her with the tool he was using, "You're not Weiss. And I'm not Jaune." **

"Well, he's not wrong." Qrow said as he leant back in his chair more. "They are definitely not like their original selves. Not one bit."

"Frost may be a bit rough around the edges but she is being manipulated by Savitar as much as any of his other pawns. Plus, Weiss right now has no control of what her alternate is doing, so keep that in mind." Phoenix instructed.

Qrow nodded his head after a second, "Point taken." He then looked over to his younger niece's partner, "Sorry about that Snowflake."

She was shocked by that and the nickname but shook her head, "It's all right. I was writing my other self off as well. Perspective is important."

**She looked away and started to walk to the wall, "You sure you're gonna go through with this?"**

"**What?" he asked in annoyance.**

"**Killing Yang." She added helpfully as she walked back over to him. "You're gonna take her to Infantino Street and ram a metal spear through her back?"**

**He just looked up to his ally and said, "Well, it's either her or me. If she doesn't die, I'm never born."**

"So… it's not just revenge. But for his survival?" Blake asked. This version of Jaune was reminding her more and more like Adam. And that was making her more and more uneasy about this.

"**Right, but…" she smirked at him. "Behind that pretty little face of yours, you still remember everything that Jaune does." He started to look down again, "So you remember growing up with Yang, falling in love with her, kissing her. You sure you're ready to end her life?"**

**Savitar put down his tools and slowly stood up. At his full height he looked down to Frost and exhaled, "What I remember…" He started to walk closer to her. "Is being created as a disposable life. Something to be… thrown away when Jaune Arc was done with me. He didn't care about me. Why should I care about his love?"**

"No, Blake." Weiss said with a sigh, "It looks like it's for both survival and revenge."

"Well, he won't succeed." Ruby declared wholeheartedly. "Jaune is the fastest man alive, he said so. He won't let the bad guy win."

"That is true but you're faster than him currently, Ruby." That got her to look at their host in shock. "Yup. You may be new but you have grown at an incredible rate. They're hoping that your speed will be the key to saving Yang." Ruby just nodded her head and stared into the screen with a burning determination in her eyes.

**Weiss looked down slightly and Savitar narrowed his eyes, "You're not having second thoughts, are you?" She shook her head slowly and he nodded. "Good. Because you know what you need to do, and when the time comes, I expect you to be ready." **

**That was when he pulled away from her and brought his hand to his forehead. Memories of Jaune meeting with Torchwick went through his head quickly. "What is it?" she asked.**

**He exhaled before turning to her and chuckling, "Jaune went back in time to get Torchwick's help with stealing the power supply from ARGUS."**

"Why would he do that?!" Ruby shouted, shocked that a superhero would do something like that.

"They need a special piece of alien tech to power the weapon they need to stop Savitar. They can't get to it any other way but to break in. And Torchwick is the best in the business." Phoenix explained.

"Bu the's a hero..." Ruby supplied.

"He's also human, Pipsqueak." Qrow spoke up. "And right now, he's trying to save the woman he loves. He'll do whatever it takes to save her, even if it means he has to work with someone like Torchwick." The grizzled Huntsman sighed, "That I get completely."

"**Power source? For what?" Weiss asked, not hearing about this prior.**

"**Oh… it doesn't matter." Savitar said as he grinned at her.**

"**Well, should I stop them?" she offered.**

"**No. Let them take it." He said cockily. "No speed gun can stop a god."**

"He's certainly cocky." Weiss said with a slight edge.

"Do remember, sister. He knows everything that will probably happen." Winter said out loud. "He has every right to be."

"But being overly confident could be his downfall." Ironwood added. "We'll have to wait and see what will happen. Hopefully, it'll be his undoing."

**Jaune, Yang and Tai were talking with Torchwick to figure out how to break into the most secure government facility on the planet. When they were almost done, he turned to Tai, "All right, Tai. I need you to take Yang some place far away from here. Far away from me."**

"**Jaune." she said as she stepped closer to him.**

"**I can't know where. If I know, then Savitar knows." He answered her.**

"**I'll get Ruby." Tai agreed and clapped his stepson on the shoulder, "I'll keep her safe, don't worry." He then left the two alone.**

"**So here we are." Yang said nervously.**

"**This is not goodbye." He shook his head to her.**

"**Yeah." She replied simply as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "Look… I know you're gonna do whatever it take to save me, but don't lose yourself in the process, okay?" She nearly begged him.**

"Damn straight." Yang agreed.

**The Flash was running at high speeds as he entered STAR Labs. He came to a stop with his back to the rest of the team, "We did it! We got the Dominator tech." That caused them to cheer. "Where's Yang?" he asked.**

"Wait." Pyrrha spoke up. "Why is he asking that? He didn't want to know."

"**Ah, Yang-" Arthur Watts, nicknamed AW started to speak while motioning with his drumsticks, "Safely stashed away on Remnant-2 with ole Artie Watts." **

"Arthur?!" Ironwood said in shock. "Why is he there?"

"And what do they mean by Remanant-2?" Ozpin added.

"This world is more connected to others in their corner of the Multiverse." Phoenix explained with a sigh. "They even have limited travel to some. As for Arthur, he is usually one of the smartest men in their world or someone of great prestige. This one is currently helping Team Flash with their operations. They have met a few by this point, so they give them nicknames. This one really isn't a genius but he is helpful all the same."

**That's when the Flash fully turned to him, revealing the scarred face of Savitar. He just looked them all over before he smirked and raced away. Ren quickly got on the comms, "Jaune! Savitar knows where Yang is."**

"No!" Ruby shouted. Fearing for the alternate version of her sister.

**Artie was walking into a room with the others and spoke up, "Savitar's coming."**

"**What?" Yang asked in fear.**

"**Tai, now." Artie continued. **

**He quickly stepped in front of his daughter, drawing his sidearm. "Yang, stay behind me."**

"**Dad." She added in worry.**

"**He gets to you through my dead body. Artie, Ruby."**

"That I can agree on." Tai nodded in understanding. "Doesn't matter how old or strong they get, no one will lay a hand on my daughters.

"Count me in on that one." Qrow added with a hard glare. Winter silently nodded as she thought about her sister.

"**Yeah." Artie replied as he pulled up his old laser gun.**

**They all were ready as a breach opened and Savitar, in his full armor stepped through. Ruby, in her Kid Flash suit, looked at his old foe before turning to the others. "I got him." She then charged him at her top speed. **

"Go me! Kick his butt!" Ruby shouted. Everyone else in their row silently agreeing with her.

**She tried her best but her punches were doing nothing against his armor. He nonchalantly reached behind him and grabbed her by her throat. He punched her up into the air where she bounced off the roof and back down. He caught her before he slammed his foot into her left leg and breaking her bones. She screamed out in pain as he threw her across the room.**

Ruby winced at the sound of the bones breaking. "That is an important lesson for you all." Goodwitch lectured. "Even if you are faster or physically stronger, if an adversary has more experience than you, that could decide everything."

"Glynda, this really isn't the time..." Ozpin whispered to her.

** Artie and Tai started to open fire on Savitar. But he just walked forward , their ammo bouncing off him. That was until the light son the suit seemed to die and he bent forward. The two slowly lowered their guns but were still on alert. This was too simple.**

"What's going on?" Blake asked as she scrutinized the screen.

"Yeah!" Nora agreed. " He took a beating from Jaune before, so how would bullets shut it down?"

**That was when Yang screamed as Savitar, outside of his armor appeared behind her. **

Many of the first years shouted at that as well. "Damn it! I hate jump scares!" Pyrrha shouted as her hand went over her thumping chest.

**She slowly backed away as he just stared at her. "Oh, god." His eyes snapped to Tai as he said that, "It's really true." He muttered as he just stared at the darker version of Jaune. **

**The Time Remnant just smirked, "Yes, it is. Aim that gun at me and I'll kill you." He said as he looked at both gunmen. **

**Both put their guns away as Tai stepped in front of his daughter, "Listen to me. You were my son once."**

"**Oh." Savitar interrupted. **

"**Whatever I did to make you feel this way…" He didn't notice as Artie was gently pulling out a more traditional handgun. Savitar just scoffed. "Please, Jaune."**

**Savitar just shook his head with a dark look, "No, that's not my name."**

"That was the wrong thing to say." Tai winced to himself.

"**Jaune." He tried again.**

"**That's not my name!" he shouted. **

"**Please! Stop, okay?" Yang interrupted. Fearfully looking between her father and this version of her fiancé. "I will go with you, just please, do not kill them."**

"No way. Absolutely not." Tai said with an edge.

"I would do the same thing." Yang spoke up out of nowhere. She looked around at everyone, "There is no way I would just sit by and watch everyone I love be killed to save me. Not happening." She tried to act brave but she was still shaking slightly from the thought. She nearly jumped when she felt Ruby wrap her in a hug, Blake put an arm around her shoulder and Weiss taking her hand. She just grinned at them all and gave them a silent thanks as they prepared to watch the rest.

**He just chuckled, "I'm not gonna kill them now. They.." he looked them over slowly, "Need to watch you die first."**

"**Baby, no." Tai begged.**

"**Dad, it's okay." She tried to reassure him.**

"**Oh, look, Tai. She's accepted her fate." The God of Speed mocked his ex-stepfather. "You should too." Artie pulled his gun but Savitar just raced away, with Yang in tow as they went through another breach.**

"He's too far gone. Isn't he, sir?" Goodwitch asked Ozpin.

The old man just closed his eyes and sighed. The memories of when Salem did the very same came to his mind and the battle that cost them everything shortly after. He sadly opened his eyes, "Yes, Glynda. I believe he is." Everyone else hear that and it just made them more nervous.

**Ruby and Jaune were back in STAR Labs' infirmary. Ruby was laying on one of the beds, "I'm sorry, Jaune." she said sadly.**

"**It's okay."**

"**No, it's not. It's not okay, Jaune." she started to breakdown crying. "I should have been there for her; I should have protected her-"**

"**Look, you did everything you could, all right." **

Ruby buried her head into her sister's shoulder. She was starting to cry as she thought about how her other must feel in that situation. She felt Yang gently rub her back but it didn't help as much as she was hoping it would.

**She just looked up and shook her head. "You trusted me and I let you down."**

"**Listen to me. Listen to me!" he said seriously. "There's no way you could ever let me down. You've become the hero I always knew you could be." She exhaled deeply and he nodded. "I'm gonna get our girl back all right?" She just sniffled before he nodded and left quickly.**

That made a warmth spread across Ruby's entire body. It gave her a sense of pride but didn't help with the tears she was still shedding.

**Ren was making his way to the elevator, his bag filled with all his gear. The Flash needed help and no one was better suited than Vibe and he was not going to fail one of his best friends, not again.**

"Ren! You're a superhero too!" Nora said excitedly as she shook him.

"He has power over vibrations. But he is also able to open breaches to travel anywhere, even other worlds. Along with being able to see visions of the future." Phoenix supplied and enjoyed the sight of Nora fan-girling more over it.

**As he was nearing it, he started to get a vibe. It was Killer Frost standing in a forest and speaking, "Oh, Ren, it's time for a little chat." And as soon as it came, it was gone.**

**Jaune walked up behind him, concerned with how he was acting, "Ren?"**

**Ren turned to him fully, "I just had a Vibe."**

"**What? What did you see?"**

"**Killer Frost. I saw this coming." He said quietly. "Ever since Weiss got powers, I've had Vibes of us fighting in a forest. This whole time I've been fighting it. I didn't want to face the fact that one day, she'd be this far gone."**

"**Then go now." Jaune told him. "Keep her from making the biggest mistake of her life."**

**Ren just looked at his best friend in shock, "What about you? You're gonna need my help."**

"**Savitar won't be with her right now. This is our best chance to help her. Go save Weiss. I'll save Yang." He told him with determination. **

"To the end, Jaune is still being the hero." Weiss said with a small smile.

"He's playing into Savitar's hands too." Ironwood added.

Everyone turned to him. "What do you mean, sir?" Winter asked.

"The only people with powers are Mr. Arc, Miss Rose, and Mr. Ren. He broke Miss Rose's leg when he captured Miss Xiao Long and now he has your sister dealing with Mr. Ren. Now, the only person that can stop him is the Flash. And that's just the way he wants it." He narrowed his eyes at the screen. "They better hope that weapon does what they want it to because if it fails..."

**It was finally the time they were all dreading. Jaune was in his suit, looking around for Savitar as he took a deep breath to calm his nerves. Tai was on a nearby roof and had Artie's laser gun at the ready in case he was needed. Next second, Savitar rushed in with Yang in tow, "Flash, this is it. Now the moment is upon us." The screen focused on Yang who was teary eyed and afraid. "Now the moment is upon us. My ascension to become a God."**

Everyone was on the edges of their seats. This was it. Would Jaune succeed or fail? Would Yang live or die? "Come on, Jaune." Yang whispered to herself

**Jaune shook his head slightly, "Not tonight."**

"**Show me you're the hero." Savitar taunted as he threw Yang to the side. Jaune took a step forward before he stopped. "Let's see what happens."**

**Jaune exhaled, "I'm gonna stop you." He quickly ran to the side before coming back with a massive cannon, the Speed Force Bazooka. He quickly fired at Savitar but he easily ran out of the way. Savitar kept running around as Jaune kept firing at him, only to miss at every chance he had.**

**Savitar ran back to where Yang was and that was when Jaune caught him with it. The villain groaned in pain as the energy started to coalesce around him. Jaune started to smile in relief. "It's working."**

"Yes!" Ruby, Yang, Nora, and Tai shouted at once.

**Savitar fell to his knees as Yang started to smile in hope. That was when Savitar looked back to his former self and slowly started to rise to his feet. That's when he threw his arms to the side, the energy dissipating off him.**

"What!?" Those four shouted again with Blake, Weiss and Pyrrha joining this time.

**Yang gasped in fear before looking to her fiancé. Jaune just looked at the cannon before looking back to armored Speedster. "What?" he asked in disbelief. In shock, he dropped the cannon behind him and took a few steps forward, "Why didn't it work?" he asked in desperation.**

"**I spent an eternity in a trap like that, you think I didn't know how to prevent it from happening again?" Savitar gloated as he raised a white glowing stone in his hands.**

**Jaune just stared in realization, "The Philosopher's Stone…"**

"**It's made of calcified Speed Force energy and you gave it to me." He slowly lowered his arm as he just stared the hero down, letting it all sink in.**

"**No… Guys…" Jaune said before he brought his hand to the side of his mask. "Guys!" When he didn't geta response, he turned back to his enemy, "Tai!" he shouted. The father instantly pulled up his gun and took aim but Savitar pulled Yang back to her feet. He stopped, not risking hitting his daughter.**

"No…" Ruby whispered as she stared at the screen. "This isn't happening… It can't."

"**You stuck me in the Speed Force for an eternity of Hell." Savitar said in anger. The screen focused in on Yang as she looked a second away from breaking down in fear. "Now, welcome to yours."**

**Jaune shook his head as he raised his hand towards him, "No… Don't do this." He took a step forward. "Don't do this!" He said in desperation.**

"**Now finally I am free of you." The would be God said as he raised his right hand, claws extended. **

"**Jaune." Was all Yang could manage to say.**

"**I'm begging you!" Jaune shouted.**

"**Jaune!" Yang said again as tears fell down her cheeks.**

"**You lose, Jaune." Savitar finished. He closed his hand and his blade extended as he pulled his arm back to kill Yang.**

"**NO!" Jaune shouted as he ran forward. But as he did the world slowed around him. **

**That is when Yang's voice came through before he face was shown, "Hi, Jaune. Um, there's something I need to say to you."**

**Jaune was running as fast as he could as Yang's message continued, "I love you. And if something happens… I need you to hear this." Yang's message was back and it showed her taking a deep breath before smiling. "I, Yang Xiao Long, take you, Jaune Noah Arc, to be my lawfully wedded husband." Again Jaune was running as fast a she could to save the love of his life. "To have and to hold, from this day forward. In sickness and in health. To love and to cherish. Until death do us part."**

**Savitar ran Yang through. "NOO!" Jaune shouted as Savitar pulled his blade free before disappearing. Jaune got there just in time to catch her in his arms. He knelt down, still holding her. He was in shock, just looking he rover a she just kept repeating her name. The screen faded as Jaune looked up to the sky and screamed in anguish.**

Ruby was fully breaking down and Yang was fully shaken by seeing herself being killed. Blake and Weiss were trying to make them feel better. Meanwhile NPR weren't much better and trying to process everything. Tai and Qrow were also not doing very well. Qrow took another gulp of his dwindling flask as Tai now had his face in his hands. The other four adults had their heads bowed in respect for a young life being snuffed out too soon.

The only person unaffected was Phoenix since he knew what was coming next. But, they needed a few minutes to come to terms with what they saw. This was the first death they had seen so far. They naturally needed this.


	10. Finish Line

**Source Material: The Flash Season 3: Episode 23.**

* * *

Phoenix looked upon all the viewers, each going through their own grief for the death of the alternate Yang. Ruby was still breaking down in her sister's arms while Yang was holding onto her little sister. Like a lifeline to not break down. Blake and Weiss were trying to be supportive but both had their own tears running down their cheeks. With team NPR, Nora was breaking down while holding onto Ren for dear life. Ren was trying to use all his self-control to not break down while holding his partner. Pyrrha was rubbing her teammate's back while her own sniffles were being heard.

Qrow was looking up at the ceiling as his eyes were misted over and his flask held tightly in his hand, it was shaking from the amount of pressure he was holding it with. Tai was slumped forward, his face in his hands as he cried silently to himself. Ozpin, Goodwitch, Ironwood and Winter were all silent, each in their own heads trying to come to grips with yet another life snuffed out too soon.

Phoenix cleared his throat after an acceptable amount of time passed. Everyone turned to him besides the distraught family, "I think we should carry on with this viewing."

Qrow looked to him with anger in his misty eyes, "Continue? We just watched Yang get killed. Why would we want to watch more?!"

Phoenix was unfazed by the anger the uncle had displayed. "Because, this is not over. Tragic as it is, if the people who can change the world fall apart at every failure, the Multiverse would have no hope. Now, you will witness what this Jaune Arc as he will always be remembered. As a Hero that stands among the greatest of heroes." He turned to the screen, "And the reason why I chose this world…" With that, the screen came to life to view the world again.

**The world opened up to show Jaune was still dressed as the Flash and was holding the body of Yang. He was rocking and crying to himself. **

**Tai, still on the roof, dropped the laser rifle in his hands to the ground. He then turned away before he collapsed onto the roof and began to cry for the death of his first daughter. That was when AW came running in and quickly picked up the fallen laser rifle. He pulled it up and looked through the scope at the tragedy that had happened below. He pulled away as he dropped the gun, "Oh no." was he said as he placed his hands upon his head.**

Ironwood just looked upon the alternate version of Arthur Watts, this one was certainly nothing like the man he once knew. He was pulled back to reality when his Specialist spoke up, "He probably blames himself more than anyone. Right, sir?"

Ironwood nodded, "Most likely. He was the one that gave away Miss Xiao Long's location."

**Jaune was still rocking Yang in his arms when suddenly, a pair of drumsticks fell from her pocket and clattered onto the ground.**

The General's eyes narrowed slightly, "Are those..?"

Glynda turned to her colleague, "What are you saying, James?"

**He looked down in confusion before Yang awoke in his arms with a gasp. He turned back to her, "Yang?" She was gasping and choking on the air she was trying to get, "Yang?" he asked again.**

**She just looked up at him and said, "JA?" **

"**What?" he asked in confusion. **

**She pulled out a small piece of tech. She turned it on and her disguise was reverted, revealing it to be AW all along. "JA." He said again.**

Everyone just stared in shock, no on expecting this to happen. Most of all those from the Xiao Long/Rose family. "It wasn't Yang?" Tai asked as he removed his hands from his face.

Qrow nodded, "But then the guy on the roof has to be…"

**Jaune, still stunned just uttered his name, "AW."**

**The AW on the roof removed his hat before looking back down to the crying Tai, "Dad." He said. Tai slowly looked up to him, confused. That was when that disguise faded away and Yang stood in his place, "Dad." She said again as she started to cry.**

"It was her." Qrow said in shock.

"Yang!" Ruby shouted as she hugged her older sister tighter. Tears were still pouring from her eyes but these were of joy, not sadness. "You're alive! You're alive…"

Yang finally snapped out of it and was gently rubbing her sisters back, "Yeah." She then chuckled. "I guess I am."

Weiss rolled her eyes, "You dolts, Yang was going to be fine no matter what. I don't know why you were getting emotional."

Blake looked at her with a teasing smile, "So, those tears going down your cheeks were from what exactly?" Weiss looked away with a small huff but all seven students laughed all the same. Just relieved that the Yang on screen was alright.

"**B-baby?" he asked.**

**She just nodded as more tears fell, "Yeah." **

**The father quickly got up and hugged her, both crying in relief but sorrow. "I don't understand."**

**Yang looked down from the roof, "It was AW."**

"But how and when did he do it?" Ozpin asked as he turned to their host. Phoenix just kept quiet and motioned to the screen.

**The world quickly went to a flashback of AW saying goodbye to Ren as he went to go help Jaune. As the hero left, he looked down to a case in front of him that held one of the spears from Savitar's suit. He used it to help guide him to where Savitar and Killer Frost were, along with the captured Yang. **

**Yang saw him hiding while Savitar and Frost were working on his suit again., "AW?" he turned to her. "Hi." She said simply in disbelief and relief. **

**He quickly went over to the wall she was chained to . "Hi." He said simply. "Let's get you out of here." He said as he worked on the chains with Savitar's spear.**

"**Where is everybody else?" she questioned, still confused on what was happening.**

"**I couldn't tell…" AW started. "Barry, or Savitar, would know I was coming." The blade finally cut through the chains, "Let's get you out of here." He reiterated. **

"That is actually a fair point." Pyrrha said out loud as she was dabbing away her tears. "He couldn't risk telling anyone about what he was planning."

"But that also left him alone to try to deal with Savitar and the alternate Weiss." Ren added. "It's risky."

"**Okay." She agreed instantly and the two got up to run to the exit. But as they were doing that, the spear was wrenched from his grip and flew back to the rest of the suit. As it reconnected, Savitar and Frost turned around to see what was happening. They abandoned all stealth to try to get to the exit as fast as possible.**

"They have to get out of there!" Nora shouted in a panic.

"How?" Weiss asked the bomber. "One of them is a speedster."

"I don't know, okay?" Nora turned to the heiress. "I'm stressed out right now."

"**Get her." Savitar commanded as Frost started to march forward. **

**The two quickly wound up in a dead end and Yang turned back to where Frost was coming from. "We can't outrun them."**

"**No, we can't." AW agreed as he pulled his piece of tech out. He used it to quickly swap their appearances.**

"So, that's why they swapped places." Winter said out loud.

Ironwood nodded, "He knew they couldn't escape so he took her place."

"But, why would he go so far?" Winter asked. "He knew there was a good chance he'd be killed instead."

"I think I know why." Ironwood said but kept staring at the screen.

**Yang, now looking like AW, quickly asked, "What are you doing?"**

**Aw, now as Yang, had the answer all ready. "I'm the reason why Savitar found you. I need to remedy that."**

"Exactly what I thought." Ironwood stated.

"But how did that Yang go along with it?" Ruby asked. "I know Yang and she'd never let someone else take the fall for her."

Yang just nodded, "You got a point, Rubes."

**Yang shook her head, "Not like this. Give me that." She quickly tried to grab the piece of tech but she was blasted into the wall by Killer Frost's ice. **

**She was making her way over to finish 'HR" when 'Yang' raised her hands, "Don't! I'm the one he wants." Frost turned to 'her'. "Okay, Please, don't hurt him."**

That made the rest of Yang's team, friends and family laugh a bit. "That explains it." Blake said to the embarrassed Yang. "You didn't _have_ a say in it."

**Back to the present, AW was still dying in Jaune's arms, "Oh, no. JA? JA?"**

That quickly sobered everyone up. They were so focused on Yang surviving, that they had overlooked that AW was now taking her place.

"**I'm right here." He told him in a calming voice. **

"**Please, tell Robyn, I'm sorry and I love her. That she'll have a glorious future and a brilliant story?" Jaune quickly nodded as tears fell from his eyes." And will you tell Ren… Please tell him…" he said weakly. Jaune leant down so he could hear him better as he whispered to the hero. "This took strength and he gave it to me."**

That made Ren's eyes grow wide. He then closed them before bowing his head in respect. Nora saw her partner and closest friend do this and gently started to rub his back. That was when she felt the weak shaking coming from him.

**He pulled away and looked down in shock, "Will you tell him that? For me?"**

"**Yeah." He replied with full confidence.**

"**Good." Aw said in relief. "Now… Go stop Savitar." He gave the Flash a wink before his eyes finally closed and AW's time was over. **

"I think I moment of sadness is in order." Ironwood said out loud.

Ozpin nodded, "I agree, James. For a man that wasn't a speedster or genius, but just a man with a good heart." With that everyone bowed their heads for a few seconds of silence. In that time, Tai, Qrow and Ruby were mentally thanking him for saving that version of Yang.

**Jaune just looked down at his dead friend before his eyes widened as he saw Yang run over to them. He stood up and just stared at her, still trying to believe she was still here. Still alive. She ran over and held him and Jaune held her just as tightly as both still sobbed. **

**Tai ran over and had to tell the Speedster something important. "Savitar took the Speed Force bazooka." The two separated and just looked at Tai in confusion. Why would he want that of all things?**

"That is supposed to imprison him in the Speed Force, right?" Yang asked. "Why would he want that of all things?"

"Maybe to ensure they couldn't use it against him again?" Pyrrha put her opinion out there.

"Then wouldn't he just destroy it?" Ruby asked.

**Back in the snowy forest, Ren was on his back and was slowly backing away as Frost had her hands extended, ready to finish her former best friend. "Bye-bye, Vibe." She said with a murderous smirk.**

Weiss just shuddered at the look on her face. "Weiss, you can be really scary when you want to be." Ruby said.

Weiss just sighed, "If I ever turn out like that, please hit me over the head… not you Nora." That made the cheery bomber pout.

**Before she could deliver the final strike, Savitar appeared on the scene, still in his armor. "Keep him alive."**

**Frost just turned to her boss in confusion, "What? Why?"**

"**Because I need him to build something for us." Savitar answered cryptically. That was when the rush of new memories went through his head, revealing that Yang was alive. He gripped his helmeted head as he groaned in pain.**

"Oh that's not good." Ruby whined. "Now he's going to go after her again!"

"Will he?" Phoenix asked with a smirk. That made everyone look at him in confusion.

"**Savitar?" Frost asked as she saw this. **

**He was walking away as he held the bazooka in his one hand, "Something's wrong." He said in pain.**

"**What is it?"**

**He dropped the bazooka in shock, "She's… not dead." He said in shock. **

**That earned shocked looks from Ren and Frost with the latter asking, "How is that possible?"**

"**AW." He said as he turned back to her. "He took her place."**

"**AW?" Ren asked in shock.**

"**I thought you said AW lives?" Frost asked in a panic.**

"**Not anymore!" he shouted to her, making her flinch back. **

"Okay, that is a new kind of angry from him." Nora said in a worried tone.

"Well, everything that he was certain of just got thrown into the garbage." Pyrrha explained. "I think anyone would be angry."

"But a speedster being angry is so much more dangerous." Ren added his own wisdom.

"**If Yang doesn't die…"Frosts started before she looked back up to the God of Speed. **

"**That means the future's changing." Ren finished for her with a grin of victory on his lips. **

**Savitar just walked towards the down hero, "So is yours."**

"Oh, no." Nora said in worry. "Not Ren!"

**Ren was thrown to the ground in the same warehouse Yang was held in not too long before. Savitar walked to a table not too far away, out of his armor. He then placed the bazooka onto the table as Ren was chuckling, "Oh, you better have a plan B, because I don't think your plan A worked out to well."**

**Savitar didn't even look at him, "Fix this."**

"**Fix what?" Ren asked as he got up and walked over to him. "The Speed Force bazooka? Hey, I didn't name it. If I didn't name it, I didn't make it. And if I didn't make it, I don't know how it works."**

**Savitar just looked at him with his arms crossed, unimpressed. "Oh, you know enough about it to alter what it does."**

"**Oh, I see." He said as he looked at Weiss next to him before going back to the evil speedster. "You want me to alter it. Well, what do you want me to alter it into? Like a hair dryer? Or a waffle maker? Oh, I know. Maybe something that's gonna fix that thin-crust pizza you call a face."**

"Mister Ren, your alternate seems to be quite the smart mouth." Glynda said as she pushed her glasses into place.

"Yeah, I've notice that too." Yang said before she grinned. "I honestly kinda like the change. Usually you're always so serious and quiet."

"Be that as it may." Glynda continued. "Your other should be more careful. That duplicate of Mister Arc has all his abilities but none of his heart. And now he is running out of time, making him more dangerous."

**Despite the insult, Savitar continued as normal, "An interdimensional quantum splicer."**

"**A splicer?" Ren said getting an idea on what he was planning.**

"**I do have a plan B." Savitar smirked. "I open a time portal, exposing the Speed Force, you shoot me with that, and I become fragmented throughout all of time. The past, present, future. After that, the paradox can't reach me."**

"**You wanna splice yourself throughout time?" Ren questioned and Savitar nodded. "Exist in every single moment there ever was?"**

"**All of us aware and connected through one consciousness." He confirmed. "I'll be everywhere: every hour, every minute. And then, I will rule from the Bing Bang until the end of the world."**

That made everyone have a chill go up their spine, even the adults. "That is terrifying." Tai said out loud.

"Yeah." Qrow agreed. "When he was talking about becoming a god, I didn't think he meant something like _this_."

Phoenix shrugged, "People have different interpretations of what godhood is. You all thought I was one until I corrected you, remember?"

**Ren looked down at the device in front of him, "You wanted us to build this thing."**

"**Well, why do you think I let you idiots live?" He said in disgust. "Robyn Hill trapped me in the Speed Force in the future. All I had to do was get her to build this a little earlier and have my best friend make all the adjustments." He gloated.**

"He had that planned out too?!" Weiss asked in shock. "How far did he think ahead?"

"Mister Arc has quite the mind for tactics." Ozpin added. "And sometimes, a mind can be more powerful than any weapon out there."

"Even the greatest of foes can be toppled with the right plan." Phoenix added with a sip from his coffee mug. "That's why the most terrifying kind of enemy out there are the ones with great power and a greater mind." Ozpin nodded, thinking about his once love and greatest enemy, again.

"**I'm not your friend." Ren said in a hateful tone.**

"**Get… to work, Lie." The duplicate commanded, using his first name to make the point further.**

**He looked down at the bazooka before looking back up to him, "How about I sit on my ass and let you obliterate from existence." He said as he walked around the table. "How does that sound?"**

**The evil speedster just looked down with a smirk. He then stepped closer to his former best friend before raising his right hand and vibrating it. Ren stared as the hand got closer to his chest before it stopped vibrating and touched his shirt. Savitar just gave him a conceited grin. **

"Nora." Ren gasped out. "Too tight."

Nora looked down to see that she was holding onto his hand very tightly. She quickly let go and looked down sheepishly, "Sorry."

He just gave her a calming smile, "It's okay. Just be careful from now on. Please."

"**That's your plan?" he asked. "Do it or you'll Reverse Flash me?"**

"**Not you." Savitar said before he pointed over to Killer Frost, who had her back to them. "Her." He whispered. **

"Weiss?" Her team questioned.

"Me?" Weiss asked as well. "But I've been working for him. Why would he threaten me.?"

"You forget that Lie Ren went to try to save you before." Winter spoke up. "He cares for you, so threatening you will get better results rather than threatening his own life." Winter narrowed her eyes at the screen, "It's clever, as much as I hate to admit it."

**He gave a sharp gasp as more memories came to him. "You know what I'm remembering?" he asked the vibration hero as he place his hand on his shoulder. "Neptune just got back to STAR Labs. He has the cure." **

**He looked into his eyes, "He can turn her back. You can have her back. You're so close. But not if she's dead." He then raised his hand to rest it on the top of Ren's head, "So put that mechanical genius to good work. Make me what I need. And I will let you both go."**

"He's clearly lying." Blake stated.

"Obviously." Weiss nodded. "But I doubt that Ren has much of a choice."

**Jaune was sitting in the Time Vault, just looking across to the Reverse Flash's suit as he was contemplating. **

"What is that doing there?" Yang asked.

"As I said before, the Reverse Flash trained Jaune to become the Flash." Phoenix explained. "Because of that, he always had his suit nearby. They just never bothered to get rid of it."

**Yang came in and sat next to him on the floor. Neither said anything to the other as they both looked upon that suit. Finally, Jaune spoke, "I hated Thawne… and Zoom. They took so much from me. And I've hated Savitar for threatening to take you away from me too." He said as he turned to her.**

**She gave him a weak smile, "But he didn't."**

**He returned it, "I know." He then turned away slightly. "There is strength in anger. I've used it before. And so we sit here, with our anger, trying to think of a way to hurt Savitar or maybe kill him. And I don't think hate's going to get it done this time." He said as he turned back to her.**

"Violence begets violence." Phoenix stated before anyone could say anything. "It's easy to hate. To want to hurt someone in retaliation. What takes real strength is to show restraint. To be able to forgive."

"Those are wise words, Phoenix." Glynda spoke up.

He shrugged, "Spend enough time exploring and watching the multiverse, you pick up a few things."

"**What do you mean?" she asked.**

"**Something that Torchwick said to me… that the Flash should stay a hero, all the way, and sometimes that it's not about who can punch the hardest or run the fastest."**

**Yang nodded before asking the important question, "So what are you gonna do?"**

"**The last thing he'd expect." Jaune answered.**

"What is he planning to do?" Ruby asked.

**Jaune was now in a mechanic's garage. It had numerous cars and motorcycles. He just started to slowly walk through it as he looked around. Eventually at a different entrance, Savitar raced in still outside his suit of armor. Jaune looked at him and started to speak calmly, "I wasn't sure you'd come." He started to calmly walk over to him, "Must be an odd sensation, getting new memories." It cut over to Savitar walking over to him at the same pace. "You having an uncertain future." **

"**What do you want?" Savitar asked in a rough voice. "I'm busy."**

"That is the million lien question. What is he planning?" Weiss asked as she crossed her arms.

**Jaune chuckled as the two began to circle one another again, "Doing what? Getting erased from existence?"**

**Savitar was just looking down, "We will see which one of us gets erased."**

"**Are you still planning on becoming a god?"**

"**Ren and Weiss are still alive." The Time Remnant told his original. "If that's what you're worried about."**

"**Oh, I know. You need them right? To pull off your grand ascension?" he asked as Savitar had his back to him and was walking away.**

**He turned, "Look, Jaune, if I wanted to talk to myself, I could have done that back at my lair. What… do you want?"**

"**I wanna help you." He said simply.**

There was silence and then, "WHAT?!" all the students, Tai, Qrow and even Winter shouted. Glynda, Ironwood and Ozpin were stunned as well, they were just less vocal about it.

"**Really?" the Duplicate scoffed.**

"**You don't have much time before the paradox reaches you. Come back to STAR Labs. Let Ren and Weiss go and let us figure out a way to save you." The entire time he was speaking, he was slowly walking closer as his other self just kept staring at him.**

"**You really think I'd trust you?"**

"**You showed up." Jaune said as he motioned to their surroundings. Savitar was beginning to look less sure than he usually did as he kept talking. "You remember me coming here. Did I have any tricks up my sleeve? Was I… was I planning on blindsiding you?"**

"**I don't know, Jaune." Savitar emitted as he shook his head. "Maybe I get off on watching you grovel."**

"**No, I don't think that's it. I think you're hearing me." He said with certainty. Savitar just tilted his head. "I'm still in there. Deep down, buried beneath the scars and the pain, that part of you that… it must feel so lonely. But it also knows what it's like to have a family, to have friends." Savitar looked away, "You can have all that back. We can stop hurting each other."**

"I can't believe he's trying to reach out to him." Blake stated. "He tried to kill Yang."

Ruby just sighed, "No, this is exactly the kind of thing he'd do." She smiled to herself. "He tries to see the best in everyone. Even if they don't deserve it." Everyone looked at Ruby and had to agree with her. Yang and Pyrrha looked up and met each other's eyes. After a few seconds, they smiled at the thought of just what kind of person the guy they liked was.

**Savitar just slowly looked up and stared at Jaune. So, he continued, "I remember when I was six and uh… I begged Mom and Dad to let me go to the Science Expo in Midway. And, uh, we got that flat tire on that dirt road, no spare, so we were towed to that garage in a tiny, one-street town. Of course, we were stuck there all day. Then we got ice cream and French fries with gravy at that little diner. And then that night, we watched the local fireworks show and… Actually, it turned out to be a great day."**

**He was now standing directly across from his other self, "And it's my favorite memory of Mom and Dad." He just looked at his other self. "What was the name of that town?"**

**Savitar looked different now. Like something in him was stirred to the surface. "Masonville." He said as he looked to his original.**

"He reached him?" Pyrrha asked stunned.

Yang grinned slightly, "Well at his core, Savitar is Jaune."

"**I'm still in there." Jaune said quietly. "Come home."**

**Everyone was in STAR labs, waiting for Jaune to arrive. They all looked when he came in but soon everyone tensed when Savitar did as well. Yang most of all. He just looked around, unsure.**

**Tai marched over to him and pointed, "You make on move towards Yang-"**

"**He won't." Jaune said, cutting him off. Savitar just crossed his arms over his chest, clearly nervous and out of his element. "Killing Yang… won't save him now, not anymore." He said a she turned back to his Duplicate. **

"This is so weird," Nora said as she looked at the evil version of her Fearless Leader. "He's always been so serious and sure of himself. To see him acting… well, like Jaune is…"

"Eye opening?" Ren supplied. Nora just nodded but still watched the screen.

**Neptune stood up and across from him, "Where is Ren? Where's Weiss?"**

"**They're safe." Jaune tried to reassure him.**

"**I was asking him." Neptune replied, not taking his eyes off Savitar.**

**Jaune turned to him and Savitar uncrossed his arms. He walked further into the room as he looked at Neptune, everyone keeping their eyes on him as he did. "Show me you can help me. Then I will tell you where your friends are." He said quietly.**

"Smart move." Ironwood stated. "They want to help him and get him to stop with his scheming, they need to show that they are serious."

Glynda shook her head, "Looks like he doesn't trust anyone anymore."

"Trust is earned, Glynda." Ironwood stated.

"It can also be broken quite easily." Phoenix stated. "But then again, you have skewed concept on trust, don't you, General?"

"And what do you mean by that?" He asked with a slightly heated tone.

"Simple. I've seen you in multiple worlds and it's always the same. The only trust you have is in yourself, your toy soldiers and those so loyal to you that they will _never _question your choices." Phoenix just shook his head with a frown. "That _isn't_ trust."

The General narrowed his eyes, "You think you can judge me."

Before anyone could flinch, Phoenix was now standing directly in front of the General. Having appeared in a flurry of his orange flames. "Yes. I can. Because I have seen your world's future. I've seen _your _future." The Writer leant in to stare into the General's eyes, "Here is the truth for you: Keep on this path of yours and you become a villain." Violet flames covered the General and the Writer so only he would hear his next words, "You become as bad as Salem."

Ironwood's eyes widened in shock. He searched the Writer's eyes for any kind of sign he was lying but found none. When he was sure he got the message, Phoenix walked out of the aisle of seats and back to his normal chair. The violet flames burning out as he did.

"Sir?" Winter asked. "Are you okay?" He didn't answer.

"**You tell us now or you go up in smoke." Tai said angrily as he stood next to Yang, protectively. **

"**This is bloody insanity." Neptune added.**

"**Can't believe this." Tai added.**

**Savitar just looked away from them all. Neptune was beginning to lose it., "What is he doing here? He's a monster."**

**Jaune quickly raised his voice above everyone else's, "Hey! Stop!" He lowered his voice, "Guys. It's okay. Everyone, just…"**

"This is bad." Ruby said out loud once everything had calmed down since the Writer's outburst. "If they can't get on the same page…"

**At that point, Yang started to walk towards him. As he did, Savitar looked at her before he looked down and turning away from her. Unable to look at her.**

"Yang, what are you doing?" Tai asked in shock and rose to his feet.

"**Yang, stay away from him." Ruby nearly screamed.**

"I agree wholeheartedly." Qrow added as he stared down the screen.

**She ignored it and was now right in front of him. "Look at me." She all but commanded. He refused to, he kept looking at the floor. "It's okay. Look at me." She told him gently. He did so, very hesitantly and shakily. She raised her hand and gently laid her palm against the scarred side of his face. He closed his eyes as she did so. "We're gonna help you, okay?"**

"Yang?" Ruby said in shock.

She looked to the side as she shrugged, "He's Jaune. He's just been through a lot. Maybe he can be better. And if I can help him…" she shrugged again. "Why wouldn't I?"

"Because he tried to kill you." Blake added.

"Yeah and if he didn't, he would die!" she said with a glare. "Are you saying you wouldn't do the same if it meant you would die?"

**She pulled her hand away and he opened his eyes. And they looked more like those of the man he was before. He slowly turned to Jaune, looking more timid than ever before. Jaune just nodded to him. He then looked back to the woman he once loved. The woman he tried to kill and said a single thing, "Thank you." He said weakly. **

"Damn it, Yang." Qrow complained. "You're going to give me a heart attack."

"Right there with you, Qrow." Tai agreed.

**Savitar was now in one of the many labs in STAR Labs, just looking around. He then turned to look back at Jaune and Yang. "So, how's this gonna work? Where will I live?"**

"**What do you mean?" Jaune asked.**

"**Are Ruby and I gonna be bunkmates? Am I supposed to just rejoin Team Flash, fight some Rogues? What kind of life were you thinking I'd lead?"**

"**I hadn't gotten that far yet." Jaune told him honestly.**

"All good points." Glynda agreed. "If they do save him, those are all things that need to be addressed."

"Very true." Ozpin agreed. "But they should first try to figure out on _how_ to save him. That is indeed the priority right now."

"**How do we explain me at the wedding?" He joked. "And do I sit bride-side or groom-side?"**

"**Ah, look." Jaune started. Both he and Yang were unsure of any of this. "I mean, we don't have all the answers. You know, we're gonna figure it out. Together."**

**Savitar looked from Jaune to Yang before looking down. "No." He looked back up. "Not together." He focused his sights on Yang. "Love and hate, they're so close. It's easy to mistake one for the other. You're going to spend the rest of your life with him. But I remember giving you the ring. Singing to you. Asking you to marry me."**

Yang's eyes widened, "Oh…"

Blake turned to her partner, "Didn't think about that , did you?"

She scratched the back of her head as she blushed, "In my defense, I was so focused on not dying…"

**He looked at them both before turning back to the ground. He took a sharp breath, "I can't do this." He started to leave.**

**Yang quickly got in front of him, "No, yes, you can. Okay?" He just looked at her. "I will be here for you."**

"**I tried to kill you." He said, voice heavy with emotions. "I killed AW."**

"**And you are going to have to live with that." She told him. "But we won't give up on you, okay? That is not what we do. There is a way through this for all of us." He was just looking at her, like he was searching for something. "Where are Ren and Weiss?"**

**He looked to Jaune who just nodded. He turned back to her, "I'll bring them home." Yang smiled at him before he dashed away. **

"Did it work?" Ruby asked.

Weiss sighed, "I doubt it, Ruby. I really do."

**As soon as he was gone, alarms started to go off in the facility. Jaune and Yang looked at each other before they started to make their way to the others. As soon as Yang was through the door she quickly asked, "What is it?"**

**Neptune and Artie were already at the controls, the latter being the one to explain. "There's energy radiating from the breach room." He brought up security footage of a small orb of energy hovering in the air. "It's not breach energy."**

**Neptune stood up in a panic to look closer, "It's the philosopher's stone. It's releasing all of its energy." They looked back to see the orb growing bigger and brighter.**

**Jaune looked down in realization, "Savitar."**

"No…" Ruby said sadly.

Weiss shook her head, "This was all just to buy himself more time."

"Not entirely." Phoenix answered. "A part of him was hoping that this would work out. It just couldn't and now he has to resort to his other plan."

"**It looks like it's going to blow." Tai added in concern.**

**The Scarlet Speedster turned to Ruby, "Ruby, get everybody out." The two each grabbed two people: Ruby had her dad and Robyn while Jaune had Neptune and Artie. He didn't stick around and charged back int to grab Yang just as the stone exploded, sending energy ripping throughout STAR labs. The two got out just in time for a beam of energy to fly straight up into the air. **

"And now their Headquarters is up in smoke." Blake said in horror.

"Okay, I'm glad Jaune is on our team. I wouldn't want him planning against me." Nora admitted. Pyrrha and Ren both nodded, fully agreeing with her.

**Back in Savitar's lair, Ren was still altering the bazooka as Frost was keeping a close eye on him. "Is it finished?"**

**Not even looking back to her, he answered, "Yeah. It's finished." **

**Frost just walked around him with a smirk, "Fantastic."**

"**You know Savitar's gonna turn on you one day." Ren said as he looked at one of his best friends. **

"**No, he won't." she said with confidence. **

"**A bad guy like Savitar always turns on his partners."**

"**Not this time."**

"**Wake up!" He said forcefully, "You're only saying that because he needs something from you. Once he's done with that, it's over for you."**

"Your loyalty to my sister is much appreciated, Lie Ren." Winter said with a small smile. "She didn't have too many people like that when she was growing up. I'm glad that has changed."

"Winter!" Weiss said in embarrassment as she blushed.

Ruby hugged her shortly after, "Don't worry, you don't have to be alone anymore."

Weiss tried to push her away, "Let go of me, you dolt."

She was then wrapped in a pair of stronger arms. Yang grinned at her, "Too late, Weiss. You're stuck with us now."

Weiss stopped struggling and lowered her head in defeat but her team noticed the small smile she was trying to hide.

**For a few seconds, the two stared at one another. That was until the man they were just talking about dashed into the lair and directly behind Ren. "How'd it go?" Frost asked.**

"**As I expected." Savitar said as he walked forward. "I was a fool to think otherwise." He then just looked over to his armor, to his future.**

"**Where did he go?" Ren asked and he looked over his shoulder at him. "What did you do?"**

"**I got rid of a problem." He said coolly as he turned back around. "A few of 'em." He walked over and laid his hands on the altered weapon, "Now I can fix mine. Are we ready?" he asked his partner.**

"**Yes." She answered easily.**

**He looked at her before motioning to Ren with his head, "Do it." With that Frost raised her hands and started to gather ice in them.**

All the students eyes widened. But none more than Weiss' and Nora's for obvious reasons.

**Ren took a few steps back, "Weiss, listen to me. He'll do it. He'll kill you." **

"**I'll take my chances." She said as coldly as her namesake. She shot an icicle towards him but a small breach opened right in front of where it would've hit him, sending it somewhere else. Shocking the cryomancer.**

"What just happened?" Nora asked frantically.

**That was when Blake showed up, standing besides Ren. "Blake! No, wait. No!" He shouted as she opened another breach and tackled him into it. The two just missing the second ice attack aimed at them. **

"Blake?!" the six students asked while the woman in question just stared.

"How'd I do that?" she asked.

"She is a breacher or someone with similar powers to Ren." Phoenix supplied. "They ran into her earlier in the year."

"**You don't care they got away?" Frost questioned.**

"**No, it doesn't matter. It's time." He said a she lifted the splicer. **

**Blake and Ren fell out of the breach. Blake landed gracefully in a crouch while Ren tumbled down the stairs.**

After all the tension so far, that caused all the students to laugh. Ren just smiled slightly and rolled his eyes, also relieved that all the tension was over.

"**Ow." Ren stated as he stopped at the bottom. He looked up angrily at Blake as he was standing up. "I had that. I was getting through to her."**

"**You were almost killed." Blake corrected.**

"**Maybe that's how it looked to the untrained eye." He argued.**

**Blake started to march down the stairs, "These eyes are highly trained. And I know you were in danger because I vibed it across the multiverse." She then tossed him his glasses which he caught. "I can't believe this is the thanks I get for saving you!"**

"Is it just me or does this sound like a lover's quarrel?" Yang asked.

That made Nora look over to Blake with a glare. The cat Faunus just raised her hands up in defense and shook her head.

"**This isn't thanks!" he said just as heatedly. "This is the opposite of thanks!" He stopped, "Wait a minute. How did you vibe I was in trouble?"**

"**Because we are connected." She told him simply with a bit of care behind her words. "Jackass."**

"Oh, yeah." Yang nodded. "She likes him."

That earned her a slap from Blake who whispered harshly, "Shut up."

"Actually, both of these versions of Ren and Blake have mutual feelings for each other. They just haven't started dating. Yet." Phoenix said with a smirk and that earned him a look of betrayal from Blake. "Although, I think I'm right in saying that that doesn't seem to be the case with the two sitting here."

That caused both Nora and Blake to sigh in relief. Yang looked at him with a raised eyebrow, "That was so mean." She said with a grin.

He shrugged before he was about to take a sip from his coffee, "I can be quite sadistic when I wanna be."

"**Guys?" questioned a voice behind Ren. They looked to see that the rest of Team Flash was there in Jaune and Yang's apartment.**

"**Oh, my god!" Ren said in shock as he walked forward. "I thought something happened to you guys. Two-Face told me you guys were dead."**

**Jaune just shook his head, "We're okay." He then looked over to the other breacher. "Blake…"**

"**Blake." Ren agreed as he motioned to her.**

**She walked forward with her usual confidence. "Guys."**

"**I know what he's up to." Ren told them seriously.**

Yang leant forward slightly, "Looks like we are heading towards the final battle."

Ruby nodded, "Let's hope that Jaune can pull through now."

"We'll have to wait and see." Pyrrha added.

"**We have to hurry." Savitar fully armored said as him and Frost walked forward. "I must become immortal before the paradox reaches me." He placed the splicer on the ground besides Frost before he walked forward. "Today, I become a god." **

**He took off running and started to run in a circle. As he did, a portal to the Speed Force started to open within it. Frost stared at it as she took a deep breath. When it was ready, the would be god ran to stand beside her, "This is why I brought you here. The Speed Force doesn't like it when speedsters mess with time." He told her. "Get ready." That is when a zombie looking speedster emerged from the portal. It wore a black suit and had deep red lightning coming off it. **

"What is that?!" Ruby shouted.

"Known as the Grim Reaper for Speedsters, it shows up to deal with speedsters that have the worst crimes against time. It is simply known as the Black Flash."

"Well, I'll give him this, he is quite terrifying." Weiss said with a slight shudder at the undead speedster.

**Frost fired twice at it but it easily dodged them before running towards Savitar. It was just inches away from grabbing him when Frost managed to freeze it and it crumbled apart. "See ya later, Mercury." She said as she looked down at its pieces.**

"Mercury? Emerald's teammate?" Ruby questioned.

"Yup." Phoenix started. "In this world, Mercury Black was the evil speedster Zoom. He broke the rules of time so severely that the Speed Force punished him by changing him into the Black Flash. To punish others like himself that wish to abuse time."

Everyone nodded but Qrow was deep in thought. 'Black? As in Marcus Black?' he thought to himself. 'Did that assassin actually have a kid?'

"**The one thing Black Flash can't fight: cold," Savitar said cockily. **

**He then dashed to stand a few feet in front of the portal. Frost picked up the splicer and aimed it at him. "Finally! To be a god!" he said in excitement as he had his arms extended out at his sides. She fired at him and after a brief shout, an unending line of Savitars appeared behind him, leading into the Speed Force. **

"Oh no!" Weiss shouted.

"Where is Jaune!?" Pyrrha shouted in panic.

**That was until the energy turned red. The Savitars quickly fused back into one. The original just stared down at the energy going through him. "What?" he looked back up "NO!"**

**The energy stopped and he turned around to stare at the portal. That was when something else emerged from the portal with yellow lightning. It hit him to the ground before it came to a stop not too far away. Bart Oobleck. "I've been waiting a long time to do that." He said with a grin.**

"Bart?" Ozpin, Glynda and Tai asked in shock.

"What? I told you he was a speedster." Phoenix spoke up with a knowing grin.

"**Oobleck!" Savitar shouted as he stood up. "How did you-"**

"**He didn't." another voice said. Frost wheeled around to see Ren as Vibe walking over with Jaune, Ruby and Blake right behind him. "I did." He tossed Bart his helmet as he walked over. "By changing the polarity of the climbing arc, I changed your Speed Force splicer into a Speed Force skeleton key. You didn't think I was actually gonna let you become a god now, did you?"**

"Way to go, Ren!" Nora shouted in joy as she hugged her partner.

"Yeah, Ren. You just saved the day!" Ruby added just as loud.

"**Let's end this." Jaune said as he stared across to his other.**

"**GO!" Frost shouted. Savitar raced off as she fired her ice forward. Jaune, Ruby and Bart all followed him as Ren and Blake fired their own waves of vibrations. They shattered her ice and Frost twisted out of the way before she fired a storm of icicles at the two. The two quickly ran out of her firing range before they could get hit.**

**Savitar was just a blur of silver lightning as he ran through the forest. All three of the other speedster were similar blurs of yellow lightning. **

**They chased him for several seconds before the debunked God of Speed leapt forward. He deployed both his spears and he threw his arms forward, cutting down two massive trees that fell behind him as he ran off. Ruby went into a slide to go under the trees and Bart simply ran around them. And finally, Jaune leapt over them. None of them missing a beat and keeping up the chase.**

"Yeah, go get him me!" Ruby shouted.

"Ruby, she can't hear you." Weiss reminded her again.

"That's it! Kick his butt, Jaune!" Yang added just as loudly.

Weiss sighed with her hand on her forehead, "Not you too."

**Savitar jumped, getting a height that was above most of the trees. He spun around to face the three streaks of lightning behind him. He threw his arms forward and released a large bolt of electricity at them. The explosion knocking all three off their feet.**

"Damn!" Yang shouted. Everyone else agreed wither at different volumes.

**Back to Frost and the breahcers, they had just collided a wave of ice with two more vibrational waves. Frost then tried to fire another icicle at both but Blake stepped forward and hit her with a vibrational wave, sending her onto her back. **

**The two started to walk over to her as she was groaning, trying to sit up. Ren extended his hand at her. Frost just looked up at him, "Go ahead, Ren. Go bad." She taunted him.**

**The two stared each other down before he dropped his hand, "No. I never will. But I will give you a choice." He reached into his pocket and pulled out the cure for her. "You wanna be Weiss again?" he asked as he gently tossed it onto the ground in front of her. "Here's your chance." She looked form it back up to him. He just turned his back on her and started to walk away. **

"Ren, you're such a good hero!" Nora sad happily as she hugged him again. Pyrrha smiled at that, enjoying Nora fangirling over the superhero version of Ren. Although, she was still hoping Nora would just talk to him already.

"Very noble indeed, Mister Ren." Ozpin added with a small grin.

"**Look out!" Blake screamed just before Ren and herself was knocked off their feet by a speeding Savitar. **

**Blake could only watch as she saw Savitar stop in front of Ren and grab him by the front of his shirt. He lifted him off the ground, "You'll pay for what you did! And you can die the same way twice." He pulled his arm back and started to vibrate his fist.**

"Ren!" Nora shouted in worry as she held tightly onto her version.

**That was when he was hit in the chest by a wave of ice and sent flying into a tree. The screen then showed it was Frost but her eyes were no longer glowing. This wasn't Killer Frost but Weiss. **

"Weiss!?" Ruby shouted before she hugged her. "You're back!"

Nora let go of Ren ad ran over, tackling the two girls to the ground to hug Weiss as well. "And you saved Ren. Thank you!" she said as she held her tightly.

"Nora… let go." Weiss squeaked out since she was having trouble breathing from her crushing hug.

"And get off, please!" Ruby squeaked from underneath both girls.

**She then walked over to her best friend and helped him to his feet. Savitar then spoke up, "I knew you didn't have it in you, Weiss." He was standing tall again ready to finish them. Jaune came speeding in but the Duplicate just punched him in the chest, knocking him to the ground. **

"That one hurt." Yang said as she flinched at the impact.

"Come on, Jaune." Pyrrha said under her breath.

**He loomed over Jaune as he spoke with a voice filled with hatred. "I only have a few minute left. I can feel it. But before I go, I'm gonna kill Tai. And Ruby. And Yang. If I am going to die, the everything you love is going to die too." He turned away and was about to speed off. **

**That is when an angry snarl came to Jaune's face, "NO!" he shouted as he launched himself off the ground. He ran behind him and leapt off the ground, his whole body vibrating as she ran into him. He phased into the suit and threw Savitar out through the front. **

"Holy crap!" Yang shouted.

"I can't believe he just did that." Pyrrha added.

"Yes!" Nora shouted as she got off the ground. "Go Jaune!"

**The suit's lights changed to red as Jaune's voice came from within it now, "How's it feel to get so close to your ascension and end up on the ground." He stalked forward as Savitar just looked up at him. **

**Savitar didn't look afraid however, "Now I see." He then grinned up to his original. "It's written."**

"**Nothing's written!" Jaune shouted. **

His shout made most of the theater jump. It was quiet intimidating coming from the glowing red suit. Ironwood finally looked up to the screen to see this as well. To see a hero have the visage of his enemy.

**Savitar jumped up to try to fight but Jaune was easily beating him. After one last good hit, Savitar fell to his knees. Jaune pulled back his arm and the same spear that almost killed Yang extended. **

"**Do it!" Savitar shouted, like in a fanatical fury. "You kill me, you become me. Either way, I live."**

What the speedster said struck a chord with him and that mixed with Phoenix's words as well. 'Is it worth it? To become what you swore to fight against? Even if it's the only way?'

"Sir?" Winter tried to get his attention but he was too absorbed in his thoughts and the screen.

**That was when the spear retracted and Jaune put his arm down. The Time Remnant just looked up in confusion. The whole suit then started to vibrate before it all just shattered, revealing the Flash once again. "I'll never let the pain, the darkness, determine who I am. I will never be you." He then delivered one final punch, knocking Savitar to the ground.**

"That's my Jaune!" Yang shouted in victory.

"Your Jaune?" Pyrrha asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Let me have this, Pyrrha. We'll talk about our Jaune at a later date." Yang asked the champion.

"Our?" Weiss asked. That made the two blushed from the unintended way that had come out.

Ironwood on the other hand raised his human hand to rest on his mechanical shoulder. He then took a deep breath, "To think a young man half my age would be wiser than I am."

"General, are you alright?" Winter asked him.

He just looked at her with a small smile, "Not really but I will be. Don't worry." She looked at her superior in confusion but nodded, nonetheless.

**Jaune just looked over to his two best friends, all three of them smiling at one another. He then slowly started to walk over to them, exhausted from his fight. That was when Savitar opened his eyes. He got up and raced as quickly a she could towards Jaune.**

"Jaune!" Yang, Pyrrha, Ruby and Nora shouted.

**He shouted as he was about to bring his arm forward but he was stopped by the gunshot.**

"What just happened? Who did that?" Weiss asked.

**He fell to the ground dead. And as Jaune, Ren and Weiss looked over in shock, it was revealed that Yang was standing there with the gun.**

"Yang?" her family all asked at once.

**They all looked down to see Savitar break apart and fade away. Jaune then looked over to Yang who looked back and dropped the gun. They walked over to each other to hold the love of their lives. "All theses months, you were trying to save me from him. Look at that. I saved you." She said with a grin. With that, the two held each other close.**

Yang then grinned, "I'm awesome." She said cheekily. That caused her teammates to roll their eyes at her.

**Jaune and Yang both nearly collapsed onto their couch. Both were dressed in black and had an emotionally exhausting day. They first had AW's funeral and then they found out that Weiss was not be taking the cure or coming back. She needed to figure out who and what she was now. And she had to do it alone.**

That saddened all of RWBY but Weiss could understand where her other self was coming from.

**The two sighed before slowly looking at each other. They soon both started chuckling. "Stop it." Yang said quietly.**

"**It's not funny." Jaune agreed. **

"**I know."**

"**Why are we laughing?"**

"**We should not be laughing. Today, of all days." Yang stated.**

"**I think AW would have approved." Jaune said, still smiling. **

"**Probably." Yang relented.**

"Sometimes, you just need to laugh." Phoenix said. "When things are there worst, sometimes a laugh is all you need to get a little bit of comfort."

"Talking from experience?" Ironwood asked calmly.

Phoenix gave him a half-grin. "Maybe yes. Maybe no."

"**Are you okay?" Jaune asked. "I mean… with what you did."**

"**I'm sure one day, it'll hit me." She told him quietly. "In the future., which… I have again." she smiled.**

"**We have." He corrected her. "Every day of it."**

"**Every hour, every minute." She quietly sang to him. **

**That cause them both to laugh. "I think we have the song picked out for the dance at our reception."**

"I think I would absolutely dance to the song my husband sang for me at our reception." Yang spoke out loud.

"I think I would too." Pyrrha agreed.

Weiss sighed, "What if it was the serenade that Jaune sang to me?" she asked with a smirk.

Yang cringed, "Okay, maybe not that."

Pyrrha looked sheepish, "I still say it was sweet. Poorly executed but sweet."

**She gently smacked his shoulder, "Oh, yeah, that reminds me." She reached over the arm of the couch to lift up a box and placed it on the coffee table. "I can officially mail these."**

"**What are these?" he asked.**

**She showed him one, "Save the date cards for our wedding. On my braver days, I filled them out. I never mailed them, not knowing if I would live to see the ceremony, but…" She looked at him with excitement on her face. "But now I guess it's safe to-"**

**Before she even finished, Jaune was off in a blur of lightning. The box of cards gone as well. Yang was just stunned until a few seconds later he was back on the couch with a satisfied sigh. "Delivered." he said with a grin.**

"Well that's convenient." Blake said with a smirk.

**She just stared at him stunned before she smack him on the shoulder. "I wasted a lot of money on stamps, thank you very much." She laughed to herself.**

"**Are you ready to be Yang Xiao Long-Arc?" he asked.**

**She just smiled at him, "I've always been Yang Xiao Long-Arc. I've always been yours." She leant in to kiss him but stopped when a rumbling came from outside. The two pulled away and looked in the direction it came from. "What was that?"**

Yang growled, "So close."

"Still isn't you." Blake said.

"Shush!"

**Everything started to shake and the lights were flickering on and off. Eventually, even a window broke, startling them, "There's never been an earthquake in Central City." She said.**

**Jaune slowly moved to the window and looked up. "That wasn't an earthquake." He told her as she saw multicolored lightning gathering in the sky. **

"What's happening now!?" Nora said in annoyance. She was really hoping for a happy ending by now.

**Everyone soon gathered at the ruined STAR Labs. And with Ruby's help, Ren was able to get a connection to a satellite to get information on what was happening. As they all looked at the screen, Yang was the one to voice most of their question, "What is that thing?"**

"**That's definitely not a breach." Blake supplied.**

"**What even emits that many kilojoules?" Ren asked, baffled by what he was seeing.**

**Jaune and Bart quickly looked to one another, knowing the answer, "The Speed Force." Bart said.**

**Tai looked to the older speedster, "But Savitar is dead."**

**Bart nodded, "That's the problem."**

"How is that a problem?" Tai asked in confusion.

"Yeah." Qrow agreed. "Evil guy gone is always a good thing."

**Ren had a look of realization, "The Speed Force prison."**

"**It needs an occupant." Bart continued. "When you freed me, you emptied it. Without a prisoner…"**

"**It goes unstable." Ren finished. "And now it's bleeding energy onto our Remnant."**

"How did Bart end up in that prison?" Ozpin asked.

"When Savitar was freed, he manipulated Ruby so that she would take his place. Eventually, Bart and Jaune went in to save her and Bart elected to stay in Ruby's place. He was confident that they would figure out how to free him. Which was why Ren altered the bazooka to do so. Two birds, one stone."

"**Okay, so how do we stop this?" Yang asked.**

**Jaune already had the answer, "By giving it what it needs." He said in a calm but devoid voice.**

**Everyone slowly turned to him, "Which is what?" his fiancé asked. **

"I don't like how he said that." Ruby said.

"I agree with you, Sis." Yang added.

**Multicolored lighting was striking down on the city at a fevered pace. Team Flash quickly ran out to see the destruction firsthand. "The Speed Force is unbalanced!" Jaune announced to the rest of them. He turned to his fiancé, "I need to stabilize it."**

**Yang looked at him in shock, "What? How?"**

"**By running into it." He told her as he walked closer to her. **

"What? No!" Yang shouted. Everyone was just staring on, not wanting to believe what they were hearing.

"**No, you can't. Jaune, you'll be trapped in there forever." She told him. Everyone else was looking at him in horror for what he was going to do. **

**Jaune gently held Yang's upper arms, "If I don't go, the whole city, maybe even the entire planet could be destroyed."**

**Not wanting to believe him, she looked past him to Ren, "Ren, there's got to be another way, right?" she practically begged him. But for once, Ren had no answer for her. "Jaune" She said as she turned back to him. "Central City needs the Flash."**

"**And they'll have one." He said with certainty before he looked past Yang to Ruby, "They'll have one." He reiterated as he walked over to his younger sister and hugged her. "Right?" He asked as he pulled away and looked into her eyes.**

The Ruby in the theater gasped, "He wants me to take his place?" Her eyes started to tear up as all of what she was feeling started to overcome her.

**Ruby just stared at him, trying to come to terms with everything. Before she finally nodded, "Yeah."**

**Jaune turned over to Neptune as he held his hand out to him, "Mate." Was all he said as he shook his head. He looked down before he shook his hand, finally burying the hatchet between them. **

**Jaune then walked over to Artie and shook his hand, "You mind sticking around?"**

"**Anything for you." He replied instantly.**

"I can't believe this is happening." Weiss stated. "After everything…"

Blake nodded, "Yeah. It isn't fair."

"Sometimes being a hero means making sacrifices." Pyrrha said as tears traveled down her cheeks.

"**Jaune!" Yang said a loud, causing him to turn to her. She was barely holding onto her composure. "Ruby and Bart said they were in Hell."**

**Before he could say anything, a massive swirling portal opened up not too far away from them all. From it, a blonde older woman stepped through. Tai just stared in shock, "Jaune, it's your mother."**

**Barry just stared at her as he walked closer. Getting a better look, he knew who it **_**really**_** was. "That's the Speed Force."**

"Why would the Speed Force take on her appearance?" Winter asked.

"It's the appearance he trusts the most." Phoenix started. "But also, the Speed Force is proud of Jaune and everything he has accomplished. Just like a mother would."

"**Jaune isn't going to Hell." The Speed Force, using Alexandra's voice, told them all. "But like all runners must eventually, he has reached his finish line." He just took a deep breath before the Speed Force continued, "His race is over."**

"**You can't take him with you." Yang said with finality.**

**Jaune turned to her, "She's not taking me anywhere. I have to go." He told her as he walked closer.**

"Well it seems to be that way!" Nora said in anger and pain.

"Miss Valkyrie, this is the whole planet they are talking about. And Mister Arc is willing to do whatever it takes to protect it and everyone he loves."

"**Why? Why are you being punished?" she asked him desperately.**

"**This. All of this was started with my mistake. With Flashpoint." He turned from her back to the portal. Trying to get her to understand why he has to go. "This, this is my penance. This is my redemption." He told her with a weak smile.**

"Damn it." Yang said to herself, trying to hold back her tears but beginning to fail.

"**My beautiful boy." The Speed Force spoke up, garnering all their attention. "It's time to rest."**

**He just nodded before turning to Ren. A quick shot was shown of the city still being torn apart by the Speed Force energy. He got over to his best friend with smile, "Don't mess it up with her."**

"**I'll do my best." He said slowly looking up to his best friend.**

"**They're all going to look to you now."**

"**I'm not a hero like you." Ren told him desperately.**

"**You've always been my hero." Jaune told him seriously as he hugged him.**

That hit Ren hard. To have Jaune, his leader and brother, say that about him filled him with so much pride and happiness. And he was about to lose him. And that's when he let his control slip and a tear ran down his cheek. Only his team saw and were shocked. Nora held him close as soon as she saw it but didn't say a word.

**When they pulled apart, he turned and walked over to his father. The whole time, Tai was staring at him with sadness in his eyes, "All this time we were trying to save Yang, you're telling me that we should've been trying to save you too?"**

**Jaune just smiled as he placed his hands on his shoulders, "You did save me, Tai." He smiled at him. "You took in an eleven year old boy with a broken heart and you gave him a home and so much love. No son ever felt more love from a father."**

**Tai was finally crying as he looked at him, "No father ever felt more proud of a son." With that, the two hugged each other. Yang covered her mouth with her hand as she began to cry.**

"Damn it." Tai said as he looked down. Tears were escaping his own eyes. "Just… damn it." Qrow reached over and gripped his shoulder as she kept watching the screen.

"**Jaune." the Speed Force said again. "It's time."**

**He looked to her and nodded before smiling at Tai one last time. He then turned to Yang as she walked over to him, "Jaune." she said over a whisper. He gently held her cheeks in his hands. She held his wrists. "It's not fair." She cried.**

**Jaune just shook his head, "I know." He said quietly.**

"**We're supposed to have our happy ending." She finally began to cry. "I'm ready to be Yang Xiao Long-Arc."**

Yang just staring at the screen and her other self's words just made more tears roll down her cheeks. But she kept watching, refusing to turn away for a second.

"**And you always will be." He told her with confidence. "But you need to keep living your life. Keep growing. Keep loving. Keep running. For me." He smiled at her. "Promise me you'll run, Yang."**

**A tear slid down her cheek as she gained control over her voice again, "I promise." He smiled before he kissed the love of his life, one last time. She wrapped her hands around his neck to kiss him back. **

**They pulled apart and rested their foreheads together, Jaune was smiling while Yang was crying. Jaune pulled away to look her in the eyes, "I need to go." He told her quietly. **

**He walked away, still holding her hand before he was far enough away and let it go. He took the hand of the Speed Force as she started to lead him to where he needed to be. He turned back to everyone and when his eyes landed on Yang, he smiled again. To be strong for her. **

**He walked into the portal and it closed behind him. As soon as it did, the Speed Force began to stabilize and the energy stopped raining down on the city. Yang looked over to her father, but he had nothing he could say or do for her. A tear slid down her cheek as she turned back to where the portal once was. She just stared until she took one last sobbing breath and the screen went dark. **

There was a silence before Qrow turned to the Writer, "Okay. So what was the point of showing us that?"

Phoenix looked at them all, "That version of Jaune, The Flash, will always be two things: A Beacon of Hope and a Paragon of Love. It is my hope that more Jaunes will have those same qualities." He then gave them a small smile. "Including yours."

Everyone was silent until the crying Yang chuckled. Everyone looked at her in confusion before she turned to Pyrrha. Tears were traveling down her cheeks but she was smiling, "We know how to pick them, huh, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha had similar tears but managed to smile as she tried to dry them , "I guess we do."

"Take a few minutes for yourselves." Phoenix spoke up. "The next world won't be as heavy. I promise."


	11. A Symphony of Doom

**Source Material: Danny Phantom- Fanning the Flames**

* * *

Several minutes had passed since they saw the end of the last world. Most of them had calmed down but Yang and Pyrrha were still acting a bit shaky from what they saw. Ruby and Nora were trying their best to cheer them up, which translated to them hugging their respective person. That got a chuckled from Yang who hugged her sister and Pyrrha to smile as she returned the gesture to her teammate.

They weren't the only ones that were starting to come back down from their revelation from earlier. General Ironwood had a conflicted look on his face before it settled into determination. He rose from his seat to the shock of the adults in his row. "Sir?" Winter asked. "Is everything alright."

He looked down to his right hand woman and nodded, "I am fine. I just need to speak to Phoenix." He looked from her to the Writer, who was just looking at him in interest. "That is, if you don't mind."

Phoenix held his gaze before he nodded, "I have time." He closed his red book and placed it down onto his end table. With that, the Writer escorted the General out of the viewing room and into the hallway. The two walked down the hall to put some distance between them and the others. When they both felt the were far enough away, Phoenix leant his back against a wall and looked at the General who stood across at the other wall. "So, what did you want to discuss?"

The General still had that determined look on his face, "How do I become like Salem?" he asked without hesitation.

Phoenix didn't look shocked. He actually sighed, "I was wondering if you'd ask that. Understand, I can't give you too many details but I can give you a brief overview." He looked up at the ceiling, "In the not so distant future, something horrible will befall Remnant and it will be shaken to it's core." He looked back down to the General. "You take it upon yourself to try to fix that and try to move the world into a better direction."

The General looked confused, "But how does that make me into a threat? If I'm trying to better the world?"

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions." Phoenix stated. "Your plan was genius and would've succeeded, except you didn't trust anyone but _yourself_ and those who would not speak up against you if you went too far." His eyes narrowed. "Because of that, you cause tension between you and the rest of the Council. Not to mention between Atlas and Mantle. You were on the edge of a Civil War, honestly."

Ironwood was just stunned so the Writer continued, "I will give you some credit, Salem did accelerate the situation but they only amplified what was already there." He closed his eyes and continued, "And when your back was against the wall, you decided to try to declare Marshal Law and sacrifice half of Mantle to try to stop Salem. Went as far as to try to arrest the people that tried to talk some sense into you." He looked back up to the shellshocked man, "You let fear overcome you and you sacrificed any _real_ trust anyone had in you because of that."

Phoenix just looked over to the General as his eyes went to the floor and just kept scanning it. Taking in everything he had heard. Phoenix pushed off the wall and started to walk back down to the viewing room. He stopped a few feet from the General, "Honestly when I first heard of you, I wasn't the biggest fan. You seemed too arrogant in yourself and too self-righteous for anyone's good. But that opinion changed when I saw how desperately you were trying to make up for your mistake, to try to save the world. I actually respected you."

He turned back to the General, who was still looking at the ground, "That was until you threw everything away." He turned back to face where he was going.

He took several more steps until the General's voice stopped him, "Is that future written in stone?"

Phoenix stopped and smirked. He turned to face him and he was looking back at him, "Not yet. There is still time. You just need to learn how to really trust the people around you." The two looked at each other for a bit before the General nodded. "Now let's head back."

The Writer lead the General back to the others. Ironwood broke off to reclaim his seat as Phoenix smirked at what he saw what was happening near his own chair. Ruby and Nora were down there and if he wasn't mistaken, Nora was trying with all her might to open his book. He just smirked as he heard he say, "What is going on?! Is this thing glued together!?"

That caused him to laugh and the two students froze before slowly turning to him. He just smirked at the two, "Do you really think I would leave that around without some way to prevent you from messing with it? I know you two, remember?"

The two looked down sheepishly as Nora handed him his book, "Sorry."

He just smiled as he took it back from the bomber, "It's alright. No harm done. Now if you two take your seats, we can observe the next world." With that, the two nodded excitedly and ran over to get back into their seats. That earned a few grins and eyerolls from their team along with making him chuckle again.

"Alright, this next world is somewhat similar to the last world you saw." That made a lot of them flinch and Phoenix had to stop them before they got the wrong idea. "No, not him sacrificing himself. I meant he is another kind of superhero."

That made them all sigh in relief and Ruby looked excited, "Another world where he is a superhero?! Amazing! What are his powers?!"

"Well, this Jaune is only fourteen and his parents are some of the world's leading experts on Ghosts."

"Ghosts? Really?" Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow.

He nodded, "As ridiculous as it sounds, yes. Ghosts are a very real and dangerous threat in this world." That made a few of them stare wide eyed at him. "In this world, the Arcs tried to create a portal to the Ghost's home dimension, the Ghost Zone. The portal didn't work and Jaune went inside to check it out. While in it, he hit a switch that powered it on and changed him into a half Ghost."

"Half Ghost?" Yang asked. "How does that work?"

Pyrrha nodded, "Does that mean he..?"

"No, he didn't die." Phoenix answered her. "He just gained the ability to turn into a ghost and in that form, have their abilities. He is very much alive and can change between his forms at will." That calmed down the champion and brawler. "So with his new powers and the help of his best friends, Blake and Neptune, he is now on a mission to protect his city from the Ghost that now invade it."

That got the attention of the only Faunus in the room, "I'm best friends with Jaune?"

Phoenix nodded and Yang gave her a smirk, "Maybe this'll give you the kick you need to spend more time with the loveable goof." That just made Blake sigh as her team laughed or giggled at her reaction. The Writer just smirked and he opened his book to the proper page, the fireball arose from the paper before flying into the screen. The lights died down and screen came to life.

**The screen opened up to a dark world with green ambient light everywhere and an endless number of purple doors floating throughout the space. As they stared on, green ghosts were flying about aimlessly. **

"So that is this 'Ghost Zone' you mentioned?" Goodwitch asked the Writer and he just simply nodded.

Yang spoke up next, "Well, I'll give you this. It does have that creepy feel you'd expect from it."

**The screen turned to see Jaune being slammed onto the ground as a more defined ghost was on top of him. Jaune looked the same except her had a black suit with grey boots, gloves, and collar. His hair was the same grey and his eyes were a glowing green instead of their usual blue.**

"Whoa! That's Jaune!?" Nora shouted as soon as she saw him. "He looks so cool!"

"I have to admit. He does look rather handsome like that." Pyrrha said with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Yeah!" Yang agreed with a grin. "Has a whole dark and mysterious look to him now."

"You're focused on that and not the fact he is being attacked by a ghost?" Weiss questioned with a raised eyebrow.

Yang shrugged and Ruby waved it off, "He'll be fine, Weiss. He's a superhero! He can kick that ghost's butt!"

**On top of him was a ghost that looked strangely familiar. It was wearing red and black striped footie pajamas and similar colored hair with silver eyes.**

Everyone was silent. All the students slowly turned to Ruby who was just staring wide eyed with her mouth hanging open. "What!?" she suddenly shouted, making them all jump. "I'm the ghost he's fighting?"

Yang gently patted her back, "Sorry, Sis. But we did see Weiss as a bad guy before. Now it's your turn."

"I'm wondering why you are wearing _that_?" Weiss said while staring at her leader's other self with a critical eye. That just earned an embarrassed whine from the girl.

**Jaune was trying to force her off of him but was struggling, "Get off me, Ruby!"**

"**But I just want to be your friend!" she said excitedly. Shen then scooped him off the ground and was hugging him tightly. **

Ruby blushed at her other self as she pulled her hood over her head in further embarrassment. That got a few grins or giggles from her friends and sister. Although they did try to hide them for her sake.

"**Will someone please remind me, why this was a good idea?" Jaune shouted from the unrequited hug. **

**The screen went into a cockpit of what looked like some sort of ship. Inside were Blake and Neptune. Blake moved her hair behind her ear so the green earphones were showing. She just grinned before she looked down at him struggling, "Hey, you're the one who wanted to map out the Ghost Zone."**

"I'm not a Faunus. Is this another world that Faunus don't exist?" Blake asked the Writer and he just nodded again. So far, he had no reason to give any kind of verbal response.

**Neptune was sitting next to her and was looking at a PDA, "You're also the only one that doesn't have to wear these stupid Arc Phones." He said in annoyance as he grabbed the similar earphones in his ears. He then clicked a button on his PDA and music started to play through them. Much to Blake's annoyance. "Good thing these work as wireless earphones because these things are a fashion 'don't'."**

**Jaune was still struggling against Ruby as he spoke, "They're not supposed to look good. They're supposed to filter out spectral noise so we can communicate." He managed to kick off Ruby but that caused them to fall to the ground again. But this time, he was able to hold her off of him with his legs and hands. "Like when I say things like: Help get this thing off me!"**

"Hey!" Ruby shouted indignantly. "I am not a thing!"

"Relax, Ruby." Yang told her in a caring voice. "This isn't anything to get worked up over." Ruby just gave her deadpanned expression and Yang eventually turned away with a sheepish expression. The irony was not lost on anyone that knew the two sisters.

**Blake was looking in the sideview mirror as she spoke. "They're not stupid. I think they make great techno-Goth earrings." **

"**Really?" Jaune asked while still struggling with Ruby. "Hey, maybe I should give a pair to Weiss." He said before Ruby grabbed his face.**

"This Jaune has a crush on Weiss too?" Blake asked.

"That's different. We've only seen worlds similar to our own where that happens." Ren added as he remembered the worlds they've watched so far.

Weiss on the other hand wasn't sure on how she felt about this. She knew now that when Jaune had asked her out before, he had done so because he liked her. Not for her money and power. A part of her still felt guilty for how cruel she had been to him on those occasions. She really wasn't looking forward to seeing this version of her doing the same.

**Blake rolled her eyes, "Yes, Jaune. That's what I'm saying. Give a pair to Weiss." She said in annoyance as she crossed her arms over her chest. Neptune was too involved with his music to notice.**

"Oh, what's this?" Yang said with a grin as she turned to her partner. "I think someone is jealous."

Blake rolled her eyes, "Yang, don't start. Besides, if this Jaune is anything like our own, he may have constant ideas on how to ask out Weiss. It could just be such a common occurrence that it's annoying."

**Jaune managed to finally pull away from Ruby and fly away, his legs turning into a spectral tail as he did. But Ruby was not about to give up and jumped towards him. She grabbed him by his hand and pulled him back so they were both floating in air. She took a deep breath before exhaling a gust of freezing air. Freezing Jaune solid.**

"Wow. And I thought Weiss was the Ice Queen." Yang said out loud.

"Hey!" Weiss said in offense.

Winter sighed from the row behind them. She then turned to look down the row to Qrow. "I see your insufferableness is hereditary, Qrow." She snarked.

He shrugged with a smirk, "Call it whatever you want, Ice Queen. I see it as charm."

**His hands started to glow green and he fired two ectoblasts from them that shattered the ice. He then looked at Ruby with a glare. He noticed the door behind her and flew at it at top speed. She followed right after him to try to catch him. He grabbed the door and flung it open before she could do anything and she flew back into the other dimension. **

**Ruby landed in the deep snow before she sat up and looked around in shock at the frozen tundra around her. She then noticed the penguin in front of her, "Will you be my friend?!" she asked it. It's response was to waddle away as quickly as it could. **

That made Yang burst out laughing. Ruby punched her sister on the shoulder. "Yang that's not funny!" she said angrily.

She managed to take a deep breath, "You're right. It's hilarious."

She pouted, "Fine! I'm sitting with Dad and Uncle Qrow!" she then used her Semblance to turn into a cloud of rose petals before flying up and behind to the row with the adults. She took the free seat next to her dad which was the aisle seat. She huffed as she did so.

Tai just chuckled at his daughters' antics before he wrapped his arm around his youngest daughter's shoulders. He then leant down and left a kiss on the top of her head. "Nice to spend some time with you, honey."

Yang stopped laughing and looked back at her sister, who refused to acknowledge her existence. She then sighed, 'Well, I stuck my foot into my mouth again.' She thought to herself.

**Jaune blasted the handle off the door before he flew back towards the ship. Inside, Neptune was singing, terribly, along to the song and Blake seemed to be on the verge of murdering him. Jaune phased into the ship and shifted back to his human form to sit between them. He was shivering and rubbing his hands together like crazy. He blew into them before speaking. "Can a ghost get frostbite?"**

"**Oh, here. My hands are warm." Blake said as she covered both of his in her own. The two looked at their hands before looking at each other. They quickly looked away with a blush before nervously smiling at each other. **

"Huh, maybe Yang wasn't so far off about your other self being jealous, Blake." Pyrrha said as she tilted her head a bit.

Blake shook her head, "I doubt it. We're much younger in that world. We're probably just a bit more hormonal than we are now, so it just looks like we have feelings for each other."

**The moment was immediately ruined by Neptune shouting to the song. Jaune then looked down at their hands again, "Uh, sorry." He pulled his hands from her and placed them over his ears, "I think I'm going to need my hands for this." With that, Blake piloted the ship away from where they were to go back home.**

**It then showed their high school. The trio was walking down the hall with Neptune now wearing a different shirt and hat as his PDA was playing the same song from before. Jaune was looking at the two as he spoke, "I don't get it. This Cinder Fall comes out of nowhere and suddenly is the biggest thing since mp3s. It's so-"**

"**Infuriating how mindless, prepackaged corporate bubblegum is preventing true musical artists from being heard." Blake finished for him.**

"**I was gonna say wired but okay." He answered with a smile.**

"Cinder Fall?" Weiss spoke up. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

"That's the name of Emerald's team leader." Ruby answered her from her new seat. "Don't know too much about her though. I've only ever met her the one time."

Yang turned around to face her, "I thought you hung out with Emerald fairly often?" Ruby just looked at her sister before her eyes went over her head to the screen. "The silent treatment? Come on, Ruby, aren't we a little old for that?" She was met with silence as her answer.

"**Cinder is not just about music. She is an expression of my unique individuality." Neptune told them as they rounded a corner to show that everyone in it was wearing some sort of Cinder merchandise. Along with her posters covering the walls. **

"**Oh, yeah. You're one of a kind." Blake added sarcastically. "Every single one of you."**

"This Blake is more sassy than our Blake." Nora said as she tilted her head to the side.

Yang shrugged with a grin, "I think Blake is more fun when she acts feisty. This is just an improvement."

"Yang." Blake started. "You already have one member of our team not talking to you. Do you really want to make it two?" She then narrowed her eyes at her which made Yang flinch a bit.

**Weiss walked over to them shortly after that and quickly picked up on the Arc Phones she was still wearing, "Nice earrings. Sale at the eighty-nine cents store?"**

"**For your information, Weiss, they're a gift. From Jaune." she said smugly as she stood next to him. He just looked at her nervously.**

"**Really? He gave you earrings?" Weiss asked in shock. "I always knew you two losers would end up together." She then walked away.**

Yang whistled, "Damn, Weiss. This version of you is just as cold as when we first met you. Maybe more."

Weiss looked down shamefully, "I was hoping it wouldn't be like this."

"Look on the bright side, Weiss." Winter spoke up from behind her. "You are no longer like that. You should take pride in that." Weiss nodded slightly with that.

"**We're not losers!" Blake defended.**

"**We're not together!" Jaune clarified.**

"**Cinder! Cinder! Cinder!" Neptune cheered to his music besides them. **

"**Will you keep it down!" Jaune and Blake shouted together at him, both grown tired of him.**

"**Hey, check it out." Cardin said with a smirk to Dove standing next to him. "The lovebirds are ganging up on Vasilias." The two then laughed.**

"**We're not lovebirds!" They shouted again in sync at the bully. They looked at each other then back at Cardin to glare. **

"You two sure about that?" Nora asked. "Because you two are quite in sync."

"Can we please stop talking about this?" Blake asked, already over this conversation.

"Hey, don't blame us. It's the other you and Jaune giving us all these examples of you two being together."

Blake just groaned as she fell further into her seat. Ren decided he'd be the one to give her some slack, "Nora, behave." He said simply and she just pouted.

**The bell rang not long after that and the three ended up in class with their more annoying teacher, Mr. Port. "As you know, the Northwestern Nine Standardize Testing starts in two days. And because my bonus is proportional to your grades, we've installed the Cramtastic Mark 5. The latest in state of the art subliminal study aid technology." The classroom was shown and each desk had a keyboard and three screens along with each student wearing a helmet on their heads.**

"Hmmm. If those turn out to be worth it, do you think Atlas could work on them, James?" Ozpin asked his friend.

Ironwood stroked his chin, "I'm sure a few of our scientists aren't working on anything too important. So it could be possible." That didn't bode well for any of the students.

"**Let the learning begin!" he said in excitement as he pushed the start button on the main machine. As he did, Cinder's music video played over all the screens. Most of the students stood up and cheered to Port's annoyance. He quickly ejected the CD and held it up in an angry manner. **

"Oh, dear." Goodwitch stated with a sigh. "Someone has put Peter on a warpath."

**That was when the music started to play again. He looked around before pointing the CD threateningly at Neptune. "Vasilias! Turn off that blasted PDA!" he shouted as he threw it at him, the disk knocking the PDA out of his hand and making him jump. **

"Woah! And he's just a teacher here!" Nora said impressed. "I wonder if our Port can do that?"

"Ms. Valkyrie, Peter may be long winded and love to exaggerate but he has his job for a reason." Goodwitch lectured. "When he was younger, he was quite the Huntsman and I would like you to keep that in mind."

"**It's not me!" he defend himself. He then pointed his thumb at the window, "It's coming from outside."**

**The students all ran to the windows to see a tractor-trailer pull up with two massive speakers on the back and a Cinder banner hanging between them. Purple smoke erupted from the center and there stood Cinder Fall, grinning at the building with her guitar in hand. Three more smokescreens appeared behind her and revealed three musicians. Zombie-like musicians.**

"So, that's what she looks like?" Weiss asked as she turned back to Ruby.

She nodded slightly, "Mostly. When I met her she was wearing her Haven uniform, so I don't know what her casual or Huntress gear looks like."

**They all began to play and Cinder began to sing. It didn't take long for the entire student body to run out of the school and surround the impromptu stage. "Hello, Casper High! Tell me who you love!" she spoke over the microphone.**

"**Cinder! Cinder! Cinder!" they began chanting. **

**As they did, she closed her eyes and smiled. Her hair almost looked like it turned into fire and rose into the air behind her head. "That's it babies, say my name! Are you ready for a little youth revolution?"**

"Now that's unusual." Pyrrha spoke up. "It kinda looks like your Semblance, Yang." She said as she turned to the blonde.

"I guess but something is off." She said as he stared at the screen. "Her hair looks like it's _actually_ on fire or even made of it. I can't do that."

"Well, good thing then." Tai said with a smirk. "I wouldn't want to imagine what you'd do if you burnt all your hair off." Yang looked at him in horror as her family and friends laughed.

**They cheered and moved closer. Jaune and Blake were standing on the steps of the school just watching as Neptune ran and tried to jump onto the crowd. Too bad for him, they had moved towards Cinder and he landed on the ground hard. Although, he somehow managed to get his fellow students to allow him to crowd surf. "We love you , Cinder!"**

"**That's because I've been a void in you empty lives." She answered.**

**Jaune and Blake were still watching this going on before Jaune's mouth popped open and steam rose from it. He started to look around, "Uh oh."**

"What was that?" Blake asked.

Phoenix chimed in, finally having a reason to speak. "It's one of his abilities. He calls it his Ghost Sense. It happens when he feels a ghost nearby."

**That was went Port stood on top of a fire hydrant with a megaphone, "Attention freakishly dressed teen idol, I order you to cease and desist."**

"**Desist this, Grandpa!" Cinder responded. She then turned a dial on her guitar before she strummed it. A wave of energy washed over the students and turning their eyes red. They all then turned to Port with angry expressions on their faces.**

"Peter better run." Tai spoke up in worry. "A frenzy of angry teenagers are nothing to mess with. Especially without aura."

"**Pride and Prejudice!" Port shouted in fear.**

"What?" nearly everyone asked at the peculiar phrase.

"This Port chooses not to swear so he shouts titles of famous books from his world." Phoenix told them. "They are also books from my home dimension." That earned him quite a few shocked expressions that made him smirk. "We can talk about that later as he turned back to the screen.

"**Cinder's the ghost?" Jaune said in shock as he looked at her. "Oh my gosh!" He said as a white ring formed around him. It split into two as one went up and the other down. As they moved up his body, his usual clothing was replaced with his black suit and when they were gone, he was back in his ghost form. **

"That was such a cool transformation!" Ruby shouted. "Simply but amazing to see!"

**He then crouched low, "I gotta save Port!" He then stopped, "Wow. This is bittersweet." He then flew over to the teacher as he was about to be attacked by the students. Jaune placed his hands on his back as he was still floating and turned them both intangible. Once the students passed through them harmlessly, Jaune let him go and flew away. **

"**Now to knock the pop princess off the-" he stopped himself as he turned back and noticed that Cinder was gone. "Charts?"**

Yang sighed, "Of course it wouldn't be that simple."

"Most things aren't, Firecracker." Qrow told her. "You can never go wrong with expecting the worst."

Phoenix chimed in, "As long as you hope for the best. Too much of either rarely helps anyone."

**The students were starting to shake the effects of Cinder's music and Blake went over to check on Neptune. He then looked around, "Hey! No encore? What's up with that?" he said in disappointment. **

Ren narrowed his eyes, "Really? That's what he's worried about?"

**The screen then cut to Port walking up the hallway with a stack of papers in his hands. It was shown that they were magazines, each one with an image of Cinder on the cover. As he was looking through them he was speaking in an angry tone. "If I see one hint of that woman in school today, I'll-" He stopped when he looked up and saw all the students wearing her merchandise, "Chicken Soup for the Soul!"**

**Jaune and Blake walked over to Neptune, who was now wearing a wig that was like Cinder's hair and makeup like her's. "Neptune, you're starting to scare me and I fight ghosts." Jaune told him seriously. **

"**It's a Cinder thing. You wouldn't understand it." He said dismissively as he was fixing his wig. **

**Blake was just giving him a deadpanned expression, "Uh, you do realize she is an evil, mind controlling spirit from another dimension?"**

"**Yes but you said the same thing about Weiss." Neptune answered.**

"What!?" Weiss said in annoyance.

That caused Ruby, Yang and Nora to burst out laughing while Ren, Pyrrha and Blake were laughing much more softly. "That Blake really doesn't like that version of you, Weiss." Ruby said after getting a chance to breathe.

"Well, she wasn't wrong." Phoenix told them and stopping the laughter. "Back then, Weiss came in contact with a valuable that belonged to a ghost. So, when her emotions got high, she would turn into a ghost dragon."

"What?!" Weiss and Winter shouted this time.

"Don't worry, Jaune took care of it and she has no recollection of it. " he calmly told them.

**Jaune turned to her, "You know, he has a point."**

"**Hey, everyone!" Weiss ran over now dressed in an outfit identical to Cinder's, makeup included. "Cinder's giving away free concert tickets at the Music Mega store!" She said excitedly. She then noticed Neptune. "Hey, nice hair!" she complimented.**

**Neptune smiled, "Thanks. Nice hair!" he returned. **

**The students then charged towards the exit as a mob while chanting Cinder's name. Port stood in front of the doors with his arms out and resolute expression on his face. "You people aren't going anywhere except detention!" he shouted as he was tackled through the door by the students and was then trampled. **

"That is Peter's most devastating quality." Goodwitch spoke up. "He never knows when to quit."

"It's also one of his most redeeming ones as well, Glynda." Ozpin said with a smile as he took a sip from his coffee mug. He had half a mind to ask if he could keep this refilling mug. It was quite handy.

**Meanwhile Jaune and Blake were trying to stop Neptune. Jaune had both his hands on Neptune's arm while Blake had her arms around his chest, trying to stop him. But Neptune was able to keep taking steps forward with great effort. "Must. Have. Cinder. Pics."**

**Blake just looked at him from over Jaune's shoulder. "We're going to have to reprogram him." The two then looked at how she was holding him and the two promptly let go. Each folding their arms behind their backs and looking up while whistling.**

"Don't say it." Blake said evenly before Yang or Nora could say anything.

**The two managed to tie Neptune to a chair and put him in front of one of the Cramtastic Mark 5. They turned it on and he was forced to watch the screen. "This is where the healing starts." Was all Blake said as she looked down at her friend. **

**The two left Neptune to it as they went over to Jaune's locker. "I still don't get why we're not affected by Cinder's music." He told Blake as he turned his arm intangible and stuck it into his locker to feel around for something.**

"That is a good point." Pyrrha brought up. "Jaune has powers but what about Blake?" Everyone turned to Phoenix but he refused to say anything this time around.

**Blake had a theory. "Maybe because of your ghost powers and my-"**

"**Individuality." Jaune suggested before he managed to pull a mechanical thermos from his locker. "Or intelligence."**

"**I was going to say total disdain for anything popular but okay." She looked to the side with a blush. "You really think I'm smart?" Jaune looked to the side while Blake looked at him. **

Blake just groaned. Ruby saw this and couldn't stop herself from asking. "Blake, why are you so against your other self being with Jaune?"

The Faunus sighed, "It's just… My last relationship didn't end very well, Ruby. I guess… I'm not too open to romance right now. At least for myself."

**Port, now bruised and dirty with his clothing torn walk up to them. "Not so fast. You two lovebirds may be the only two students in the entire school…"**

"**We're not lovebirds!" they denied again.**

**Port just carried on, uncaring. "But that's not going to stop me from giving you an education." He then grabbed each of them by an arm and started to drag them to one of the classrooms. **

**The two just smiled at each other before linking their free hands together. Jaune made them intangible and they slipped out of the teacher's grip. Jaune then flew the two of them to a wall and phased through it. When Port got to the classroom he was stunned to see that they were out of his grip and missing entirely. "Lord of the Flies! They're slipping through my hands!" **

Tai chuckled, "Port is definitely having a rough day."

**The two were quickly flying to the music store. Both had one arm around the other's waist so Jaune could fly both of them easily. As he was focused on where they were going, Blake was looking around in awe of being able to fly like this. She eventually looked back to him and gasped as she saw him silhouetted against the sun. She was just staring at him with half lidded eyes. Jaune looked back at her before raising an eyebrow in confusion. "Are you okay, Blake?"**

"**Huh?" she asked before she realized what she was doing and blushed. "Oh, it's just really nice up here is all. Flying's nice." She giggled slightly embarrassed.**

"Maybe you aren't ready, Blake, but your other self looks to be open to it." Pyrrha spoke, much to Blake's chagrin. She was still annoyed there hadn't been a world where she and Jaune were together but after deciding to talk to Jaune when she returned, that annoyance had lessened a bit.

**Jaune's eyes widened before he turned away with his own blush. Although he was still looking at her from the corner of his eye. But it was because of that, the two crashed into the giant cutout of Cinder on the roof of the building. The two fell onto the roof as Blake said what the two already knew, "Falling stinks."**

Nora chuckled, "Looks like our Fearless Leader still has his clumsy streak." That got a smile from most of the students.

**The two phased through the side of the building and the two saw that Cinder was standing on top of a series of screens. Her hair was doing the same thing they saw it doing back at the school but it seemed much more intense. "Something tells me they're not going to love seeing their idol sucked inside the Arc Thermos." Jaune said out loud.**

"The Arc Thermos is a piece of machinery that can capture a ghost inside of it. It's how Jaune gets the ghosts he fights back into the Ghost Zone." Phoenix explained before the question was asked. "And no, I'm not sure why it's a thermos."

"**I think I can distract them." Blake told him confidently.**

"I wonder what Miss Belladonna has in mind?" Goodwitch asked out loud.

**The cheering soon stopped and the crowd gasped as they saw that Blake was on top of one of the cutouts of Cinder. She had drawn giant glasses, a moustache and beard on it with a red marker. "Hey, everybody, look! It's Cinder Fail!" she shouted down to them all.**

That got a laugh from Yang, "I'm starting to like this sassy Blake more and more."

"I'm sitting right here, Yang." Blake said in annoyance.

**Cinder's hair started to die down and she looked over in annoyance, "Oh, great. A critic. Maybe you'll like my new song better." She said with a smile as she turned one of the dials on her guitar. Before she had a chance to do anything, Jaune flew up and blasted her with two ectoblasts. She screamed as she was thrown backwards.**

"**Hey! Do you take requests? How about Beat It!" Jaune shouted at her.**

"This Jaune is really good with banter. Do you think he could give our Jaune lessons?" Nora asked.

"Nora, that's not fair." Pyrrha defended. "Our Jaune focuses more on our strategies than trash talk."

"I know but as our leader, he should be able to trash talk." She added on.

**Cinder just graciously floated back into the air, "How about I lay down some power cords instead, Dipstick?" She strummed her guitar to send a wave of green energy with skulls on the side. Jaune was pulling out his thermos at the time and had no time to do anything as it hit him. The thermos went flying and hooked itself around the ear of the cutout Blake was still on.**

**She just laughed as she strummed her guitar again. This time, the flames that was in her hair spiraled around her before she vanished. Jaune flew towards her but was too late as she was gone before he reached her. He quickly turned intangible and went through the roof so the two were facing each other again. **

"**Dipstick. Ho ho, funny." He flew towards her and their hands locked together, the two getting into a power struggle. "Who writes your insults? The same hack that writes you songs?" he asked her. He then looked down to see that the people outside the building were now chanting her name. Cinder's hair had the same flaming appearance as before and she began to overpower Jaune. "Chanting… makes her stringer." He realized as he still tried to fight against her. **

"So, that's why she has been manipulating people with her music." Weiss said in shock. "With each person, she grows stronger. That is dangerous to say the least."

"The question now is, 'How do they stop her?' As long as she has her 'fans', they can't do much against her." Blake added.

"**You got that right, Baby Pop." She said to him in an almost sultry tone. "And the more kids chanting, the stronger I get." She then tossed him effortlessly with one arm across the roof.**

**Jaune screamed as he was thrown before he slammed the back of the giant cutout that him and Blake had crashed into earlier. The force he hit it at made it topple over and was hanging precariously over the edge of the building. Luckily for him, he got control over himself and was able to stay flying in the air.**

"**You think I'm strong now…" Cinder started to speak and Jaune turned around before gasping. "Just wait until midnight when my concert goes global and the whole world is chanting my name. Then you'll all be my slaves." She then strummed her guitar and released red flames of pure energy. Jaune screamed as he was blasted down onto the roof, between the legs of the cutout.**

"Jaune!" Yang, Ruby, Pyrrha and Nora shouted in worry.

**The door was thrown open and Blake ran onto the roof with the Arc Thermos in hand. "Get away from him!" she shouted at the her before she raced onto the roof. As she did that, Jaune was forced to turn back into his human form. He then managed to get to his feet in a daze and Blake ran over to get between him and Cinder.**

**Cinder smirked as she saw this, "Ah, teen love. They say it never lasts but nothing distracts teenagers like hormones." At that, Blake's eyes widened in concern. "And I need to keep you busy for the next eight hours." She looked down to her guitar before she turned the dial to a heart setting. "And I have more than just music for you." She looked back up at the pair. "And with them chanting my name, my music can affect you! How about a love song!?" She shouted with yet another strum of her guitar, sending out a wave of energy with pink hears within it.**

"Wait, what is she doing?" Pyrrha asked in concern.

Blake looked nervous, "I have a feeling I know but I'm hoping I'm wrong."

"No, I think you have the right idea, bookworm." Qrow said as he narrowed his eyes at the screen.

**The wave washed over Blake before it pushed her off her feet and over Jaune. She landed on the head of the cutout and directly over the street below. Jaune was hit by it next and as he opened his eyes, a pink heart pattern was pulsing through them. He then blinked and he had a dopey smile on his face. He turned around to look at Blake with that smile and half lidded gaze. That just made Blake raise an eyebrow, "Huh?"**

"Did she just do what I think she did!?" Yang shouted out in pure indignity.

Blake nodded in grim acceptance, "I think she did."

"**Well,** **I think I'll leave the new couple alone." Cinder said smugly. "Ciao, Babies." She said dismissively before she phased through the roof while laughing.**

"**New couple? What the heck is she talking about?" Blake asked out loud.**

**Jaune then crawled onto the cutout as he was still staring at Blake. "Uh, Jaune, now would be a good time to 'Go Ghost' and fly me out of here." He didn't say a thing and kept getting closer to her, making the cutout tip more towards the road. "Jaune, wait. What are you doing?!"**

**As if in a daze, Jaune started to speak to her. "Wow. I just never realized how beautiful you are when you're about to fall off a building."**

"Okay, that is both sweet but very creepy." Pyrrha said with an involuntary wince.

"I can't believe that bitch just put a spell on Jaune to force him to fall in love with Blake." Yang said angrily. She turned to her partner. "No offense."

"None taken. Someone who manipulates someone else using their emotions is someone I loathe." She said with venom in her tone. That just reminded her of Adam.

"**Jaune?" she asked stunned before she began to panic. "Get back! Jaune! Jaune, stop! Don't come any closer!"**

"**But you're over there and I'm over here. I wanna be over there!" he said excitedly like a kid in a candy shop.**

"This is worse than when he was chasing Weiss." Nora said in concern for her leader and friend.

Weiss nodded, "It's like everything was multiplied several times over."

"**Wait." She said in realization. "I know that look. That's the same longing puppy dog look you give Weiss."**

"**Who's Weiss?" he asked as he took another step forward.**

That made a sharp jolt of pain go through Weiss' chest. Her hand went to her heart and she looked down. 'What was that?' she asked herself in confusion.

"**That's a pleasant side effect." She said with a smirk. He took another step and the cutout tipped even more, making her yelp. He took another step and she finally slide off it and down to the street below with a scream. Luckily, she was caught by a SWAT officer hanging from a helicopter.**

Everyone sighed in relief. That was until a cloud of rose petals slammed into Blake's chest. She gave a gasp before looking down to see Ruby hugging her. "I'm glad you're okay." She said simply. Blake just grinned after a few seconds and gave her a light hug in return. Eventually, they pulled apart and Ruby went back to sitting next to her dad. Which saddened Yang quite a bit.

**More SWAT vans showed up and Port's voice was being magnified, "Attention students! By authority of the Emergency Mass Grounding Act, you are all under house arrest." He said this as they were ushered into the back of the vans. **

**The screen then showed Port on top of a school bus and speaking through a PA system hooked up to it. "You will now be returned to your homes to await parental punishment. As for your precious Cinder, she's going down!" That's when he looked up and screamed before leaping off the bus to safety. That is when the cutout smashed the bus he was just standing on. Luckily, Jaune was more durable than most people and was just dazed more than anything.**

That made Yang and Tai to start laughing. Everyone just looked at them and Tai soon managed to squeak out, "I'm sorry but that was too perfect."

Yang nodded, "I know, you can't write stuff like that." Everyone who knew them personally just rolled their eyes at the two.

**The next thing the screen showed was the police throwing Jaune and an older blonde woman, dressed like Cinder, into their home.**

"Who's that?" Yang asked.

"I think that is one of his sisters." Pyrrha suggested. "Jaune has told us about them on occasion. I think her name is Saphron."

**Noah and Alexandra were standing in the living room. Noah in an orange jumpsuit and Alexandra in a blue one. Neither looked happy. "What is the matter with you kids?" Noah asked, clearly angry.**

**Alexandra quickly added, "You need to be preparing for Northwestern Nine Testing tomorrow!"**

"**How can I study? All I can think about is Blake." Jaune said in a whimsical voice.**

**Saphron looked ta him in confusion, "What is wrong with you? Why aren't you thinking about Cinder?"**

**Noah looked down at them in anger, "Well I'm thinking about putting you both in the Arc Stockades."**

**Alexandra then opened a metal coffin like object that was filled with spikes. "Noah, we can't lock the kids in some medieval containment device."**

"Why is that even an option!?" Ruby asked from the row behind her team.

Qrow shrugged, "I think all parent's wanna lock up their kids from time to time. Especially when the misbehave."

Ruby looked aghast and Tai glared at Qrow. "Yeah and they usually ground them, not put them in whatever that is."

"**Oh alright." Noah said as he crossed his arms in a pout. "We'll just **_**ground **_**them like every other parent."**

"**I'm going to Cinder Fall's midnight concert tonight and there is nothing you can do about it!" Saphron said in defiance as she tried to walk past her mother while dragging Jaune.**

**Alexandra grabbed them by the back of their shirts before pulling them back. "You and your brother are not leaving this house, young lady!"**

**Noah grinned and started to point repeatedly at the Stockade. "Arc Stockades~" He said in a singsong voice. Alexandra just glared at her husband. Next thing Noah knew, he was in the Stockades. "I meant them!" he shouted in anger as he was now trapped. **

That got a laugh from most of the audience.

**Back in his room, Jaune was sat in a meditation position on his bed. In front of him were pictures, notes, and gifts he had gotten from Blake over the years. He was also chanting Blake's name like a mantra.**

Blake just blushed as she buried her face in her hands. Weiss gently patted her back in response.

**He was eventually interrupted when Blake's head pooped up into view through his window. She narrowed her eyes before she knocked on it. He turned in confusion before his face shifted to one of pure excitement. "Blake? You snuck out to see me. Oh, this is just like Romeo and Juliet. Except, I'm the one on the balcony and I can understand everything we're saying."**

"**Jaune, open up." She told him as she placed her hands on her hips. He walked over and slid his window open, which revealed that Blake had used a ladder to get to his window. Unfortunately, as she tried to get into his room, she tripped over the window and fell into the room, "Ow!"**

"Not as graceful there, are you, Blake?" Yang asked. She then got a sharp kick to the shin from her partner.

"**You want me to open up? Okay…" He looked up for a second to think, "Um, one time when I was five, I really wanted a puppy but my parent's-"**

"**Will you knock it off!" Blake stood up and shouted in annoyance. "We have to stop Cinder's concert before she takes over the world." She then turned around and saw all the items laid out on his bed. "Okay, even the part of me that is kind of liking the attention is **_**really**_** freaked out by this."**

"So a part of her is open to the idea to dating Jaune then?" Pyrrha asked.

Yang nodded, "Seems like it."

"Why are we having this discussion?" Blake asked after removing her hands from her face.

The two shrugged, "It's kinda being served to us on a silver platter, partner." Yang pointed out.

**Jaune made his way over to her, "It doesn't matter just as long as we have each other." He told her in that same infatuated tone and he took her hands again. **

"**Snap out of it!" she shouted as she pulled back her hands and pushed his back towards him. "You don't really feel that way about me and I don't feel that way about you."**

"Harsh, kid." Said Qrow.

"That may be but it's the truth." Winter argued. "The quick they can get him out of this 'spell', the quicker they can stop this threat."

"Yeah?" Qrow asked. "And is that before or after they tear his heart to pieces?"

Winter shook her head, "These feelings aren't real."

"Says you." Tai said with an edge, shocking many there. "We don't know if these feelings are fake or if his already existing feelings are just being magnified. But even if you're right, those feeling are real to him. Which means, he is going to get hurt regardless."

**Jaune looked stunned for only a second before he spoke again, "So why are you still holding my hands?" She looked down before she threw his arms down with a huff of sheer frustration. He just watched her as she walked away, "And why are you still wearing those Arc Phones I gave you?"**

**Blake turned back to him, "Jaune, they're not even real earrings. They're just some stupid communicators that…" she stopped her rant as a look of realization hit her. "Filter out ghost noise."**

**That got a fearful expression from Jaune, "Does this mean we are breaking up?"**

**Blake ignored that, "Don't you get it, Jaune. That's why I haven't been affected by Cinder's music." She pulled the communicators from her ears. "I've been wearing the Arc Phones the entire time."**

"So, that's it!" Nora shouted. "Mystery solved!"

"Good thing too." Yang added. "Imagine what would've happened if Blake was actually affected by the music."

Blake just looked at her partner, "Yang, I'm only going to ask this once. Knock. It. Off." She practically hissed. That made Yang flinch back and nod her head rapidly.

"**So we're not breaking up?" he asked excitedly.**

**That pushed her too far. "How can we be breaking up? We were never together." She grabbed him by the arm and started to drag him away. "We're gonna have to reprogram you like we did Neptune." She then froze. "Oh my gosh! Neptune!"**

**The screen then caught to Neptune still tied to a chair in the school. The lights were now off and he was witching, "Twelve hours of intensive standardized test prep." He said weakly.**

"I'm going to be honest. I kinda forgot all about him." Ruby said sheepishly.

"I think most of us did." Pyrrha agreed, just as sheepish.

**The two rushed in with regretful expressions on their faces, "Neptune, I'm so sorry." Blake said in remorse as she took the helmet off his head.**

"**You're beautiful when you're racked with guilt." Jaune told her in a that same infatuated tone.**

**Blake was untying Neptune as she responded, "Not now, Jaune."**

"Wow. You are over this already." Nora said as she sipped on her soda. Blake glared at her but it had little effect on the ginger bomber.

**Neptune turned to Jaune, "Man, it's about time." He got up and wrapped an arm around either of them before pulling them into a group hug. "I always knew you two would end up together."**

**Blake quickly shoved him off her. "We're not together. Cinder put him under some sort of spell."**

"**So, you don't wanna end up together?" Neptune questioned.**

"**I don't know." She said in frustration as she placed her fist against her forehead. She then pulled it away. "Maybe. But not like this. Neptune, please, we have to break the spell."**

"Well at least Miss Belladonna is being more open about her possible feelings." Ozpin noted. "It's never good to try to hide from how you feel." That struck a chord with both Weiss and Blake but neither said a thing about it.

**He picked up the helmet that was just on his head and placed it upon the dopey Jaune's head, "Well let's crank up the story problems and we'll see him in twelve hours."**

**Blake looked to the clock, showing it was a quarter to midnight. "We don't have twelve hours. Cinder's concert starts in fifteen minutes. She gets her power when people chant her name and with a worldwide audience, she'll be unstoppable."**

**Neptune quickly took the helmet off Jaune's head, "Then we better boat down to that show and crank down the volume." He then started to push the two towards the exit. "The volume of the sphere is equal to the square of the radius of the base times pi times the height." He then blinked in shock. "Wow, that thing really works. And I've spent the first nine years of my school life actually reading?"**

Ozpin slowly looked to Ironwood, who looked back. They held each other's gaze for a few minutes. "I'll see what I can do." The General told him. That made most of the students just groan.

**A few minutes later, Jaune was phasing himself, Neptune, and Blake into the control room of the stadium Cinder's concert was in. Blake turned to Neptune, "Go kill the power. We'll stand watch." Neptune ran over to the controls and Blake noticed that Jaune was staring at her. "Um, could you watch something besides me?" As soon as she said that that, he pulled out a picture of her and stared at that, to her chagrin.**

**Neptune was looking over the control, "Okay, cutting off the power." He started by flipping a switch to the PA system. "Electrical power equals electrical current times electrical potential." He quickly shook his head. "Man, I have to stop doing that." He said to himself and over the PA system.**

"Of course." Weiss sighed in frustration at her one time crush.

**Cinder heard this and went backstage with Cardin and Dove, who were acting as Security for her. She pointed towards the control room and the two shouted, "We love you, Cinder!"**

**She just glared at them, "I heard you the twelfth time. Now, bag 'em and gag 'em." **

**The two took off down the hallway. They grabbed Jaune and Blake while Sky started to drag Neptune away, "If a train moving at twenty-five miles an hour-" he said as he was being dragged.**

**The show was going to begin in a few seconds and Cinder couldn't pass up the chance to gloat, "Later, Dipsticks, I gotta go rock my world. And when I say my world, I mean **_**my **_**world!" With her last few words, her hair took on the same blazing appearance before she turned to walk on stage. **

"**Jaune, stop her! Now!" Blake told him.**

"**I won't leave you, Blake." He told her defiantly.**

"Damn it. His loyalty is starting to bite them now." Yang said in frustration.

**Cinder's band was already starting to play. "Forget about me!" she told him.**

"**I can't. I won't." he answered with just as much determination.**

**Cinder started to play and they could see she was already drawing strength from the entire globe. Blake panicked before realizing what she had to do, as much as it was going to kill her. "I'm sorry, Jaune. But, If I can't break Cinder's spell, I'm gonna have to break your heart."**

"What?" Yang and Pyrrha asked.

**Blake quickly turned around so she was staring up at Cardin, who was the one holding her. He just glared down at her, "What're you looking at?" She then leapt up and kissed him, much to **_**everyone's **_**shock. **

Blake gagged before she placed her hand over her mouth. She leant forward slightly, "I think I'm going to be sick."

Weiss started to rub her back. "We wouldn't blame you if you did." Weiss told her. Not wanting to imagine kissing a pig like Winchester.

**She pulled away and Jaune just looked at her with a devastated look on his face, "Blake, how could you? How-" He closed his eyes from the pain before pure rage took him over. "Hey! Get away from her!"**

"**Ah, she tastes like geek!" Cardin screamed in disgust.**

"**Uhhh, he tastes like failure." Blake said in even more disgust. With that, Cardin screamed in terror as he ran down the hall with Dove and Sky right behind him. Blake quickly looked back at Jaune, regret slowly consuming her. "Jaune, I'm so sorry. I-I…" she spoke as her hands went over her chest.**

**Jaune just look down, dejected. "You and Cardin…" He looked back at her in brief excitement. "But we were…" He then saw the look in her eyes and his mood dropped again, "But we weren't, were we?"**

"So, what do think about those 'fake' feelings now, Schnee?" Qrow asked sarcastically.

She just looked at him, "It was the only way they could snap him out of it." She then looked down, "But I do feel bad for the pain he's going through now."

**Blake looked down, "No, Cinder did that." She looked up at him with an ashamed look in her eyes, "It's just… this is so hard because part of me- Part of me really liked this."**

**Jaune just looked down before he turned to look at Cinder on stage. He saw as she stuck her tongue out to the audience as she was playing. "Cinder!" he growled as his eyes started to glow green. **

That made most of the students flinch, "Okay, that is very intimidating." Weiss admitted.

"Well, what do you expect?" Ruby asked. "He just got his heart broken and it's all because of her." She said so with an edge to her voice.

**Blake placed a hand on his arm. "Jaune, are you okay?" she asked in concern.**

**He closed his eyes. "No." That made her take her hand away and he looked at her with his head lowered. "I feel like my heart's been ripped out."**

"Damn it." Yang said quietly. Not liking to see her newly realized crush hurt like this.

"I just want to be there for him now." Pyrrha said feeling just as bad for him.

Blake looked down in shame. It may've been the only choice they had but she still didn't like to see him like that . Especially since a version of her had done it.

"**But I know who I can take it out on!" he shouted in pain and anger. With a furious expression, he clenched his left fist. The white ring from before manifested around it and slowly traveled horizontally over his form. When he was in his ghost form, he took off at his top speed, blowing her hair about. She watched him go before moving her hair at her place and smiling at him.**

**Cinder was in the middle of singing her song when Jaune slammed into her at his top speed, sending her flying off stage. She flew with a scream as she crashed through a screen with her face on it. Jaune landed and glared up at where she went. "Hey, No Hit Wonder, mind if I jam with the band!?" He smirked as he finished.**

**Cinder pulled herself from the ruined screen with a furious look on her face. She jumped from it to her guitar floating in the air. She landed on it and used it like a surfboard. **

"I know she's evil and all, but that was a cool move." Ruby spoke up. Nora and Yang had to agree with her but kept quiet for the time being.

**She flew back to the stage and across from Jaune, where she took hold of her guitar once again. "Get this shrink, Dipstick!" She turned the dial on her guitar. "I don't do duets!" She strummed her guitar and sent out a giant fist of green energy. It slammed into Jaune and sent him flying across the stadium. **

**He fell among the crowd and shook his head. He then phased himself into the floor. Cinder was back at her mic and ready to sing before Jaune phased back up and stole the entire stand from her. Earning another furious look from the ghost, "Sorry, no vocals in this number. Have you considered taking up mime?" he taunted.**

"Kick her butt, Fearless Leader!" Nora cheered.

"Yeah! Show her no one messes with my best friend!" Ruby added.

**She lunged towards him to try to strike him with her guitar. They clashed multiple times with Jaune using the mic stand as a makeshift weapon. Until both pulled back their weapons to deliver one last power packed strike. The strike sent them both backwards before Cinder recovered and leapt for a downward strike. It split the mic stand and sent Jaune back before it smashed into the stage.**

**As Jaune was laying on the ground, Cinder dropped her guitar. She pulled her arms back before throwing them forward with a shout, releasing two streams of spectral, purple fire. They hit the ground in front of him before spinning around him in a tornado, trapping the ghostly hero.**

**She just smirked at him as the crowd began to chant her name again. "Here that? They're chanting my name all over the world. The revolution will be televised." She raised her fist as it was glowing with purple energy.**

"**She's too strong." Jaune conceded as he looked to the audience. "If I could just stop the crowd from chanting. Something horrible that'll break the spell." He looked offstage to this friends. "Like Blake kissing Cardin."**

"Can we not be reminded of that?" Blakes asked weakly. Feeling a sense of nausea come back to her.

Ren scratched his chin as he thought, "But what could they possibly do to have the same effect?"

**His eyes landed on Neptune. He just grinned, "Or worse. Neptune! Sing! Take the mic and sing!" he shouted as he threw the microphone to him.**

"Oh no." Weiss groaned.

"Not again!" Nora complained.

**Neptune caught it. "Wait, you want me to sing? But you told me I stink."**

"**Oh, uh…" he laughed. "I-I was kidding. You rock. You rock out loud!" Jaune lied through his teeth.**

"**You go that right!" he shouted before he ran on stage before he started to sing just as terribly as before to a worldwide audience.**

**As his singing continued, more and more of the crowd stopped chanting. "What?" she questioned as she ran to the edge of the stage. "Wait! No, stop!" Her long hair lost its fiery appearance and disappeared altogether, leaving it at neck length. The tornado disappeared and Jaune ran forward. **

"**No! Tell me who you love!" she shouted to the crowd. "Come on! Say it!" She said desperately as she was met with silence. She fell to her knees, "Say my name! Say MY NAME!" she screamed before she fell to the ground, her left eye twitching.**

"Is it wrong that I'm taking such amusement from this?" Weiss asked.

"After what she did to Jaune? Absolutely not." Yang said with a grin.

"I agree completely." Pyrrha added.

**Jaune stood above her with his arms crossed and thermos in hand. " The only thing we're saying here, is goodbye!" he said triumphantly as he pointed the thermos at her. A swirling beam of white energy hit her before drawing her into the thermos where he closed it, capturing her. **

"That's was so cool." Ruby said before she gasped, "Imagine if we could do that to the Grimm!"

Qrow looked to his niece before looking to the General. "Is that even possible, James?"

He shrugged, "I'm not sure. But I could get some of my best to look into it. Seems more important than that learning device." That made the students sigh in relief.

**Jaune looked to see her band disappear before he turned back to Neptune on the ground, "Okay, you can stop now." He flew off stage, which caused Neptune to finally stopped singing and causing the crowd to cheer.**

**Jaune went off stage and when he was out of sight of the crowd, turned back to normal. Blake ran over and hugged him, which he returned. "Jaune, that was awesome!" She then realized what she was doing and pulled away with a nervous chuckle. She looked up at him sheepishly as they both blushed, "I guess Cinder's spell hasn't quite worn off."**

**Neptune joined them offstage and smirked, "You were never under Cinder's spell." That made Blake elbow him in the stomach. Meanwhile, Jaune just smiled.**

The screen died down and Phoenix turned to them all. "So, what did you think?"

"It was cool!" Ruby said from her new seat. "Although it did suck to see Jaune get hurt like that." She added with a sad undertone.

He smiled, "Would it help if I told you in the future, him and Blake do get together? And not from some ghost ability."

The reaper then smiled, "Yeah. It does." Blake rolled her eyes but a part of her was happy that her alternate self could find someone to be happy with. Maybe she could hope for the same in the future.

"Alright." Phoenix said as he stood up. "You all relax for now. I have to prepare a few things before the next viewing and it will be in multiple parts, just to warn you all. But before that, I need to make some additional preparations."

"For what?" Ironwood asked.

He just grinned, "Well we'll be having another person from your world joining to watch more universe." They all looked in shock but he just gave them a wave. "I'll be back soon." And with that he was gone in a bout of orange fire.

* * *

**A/N- And here is the next one! Still one of my favorite episodes from Danny Phantom and I'm glad to finally do it. And yes, I will be adding another character to the cast. Someone I've been waiting for the right moment to add them. Now, I'm not going to say who but I will tell you the next world since it'll give you a clue. The next few chapters will be based on one of my favorite flash animations: Xionic Madness. I'm excited to do it and I hope you all will enjoy it.**


	12. The Beginning of Madness

**Source Material: Xionic Madness 3**

* * *

The inhabitants of Remnant had been left to their own devices in the Phoenix Roost for about an hour now. Their host had not been back since his departure to make some preparations for their next viewing. After the first half an hour, a small bout of orange flames had appeared in front of Ozpin's face, making the Headmaster flinch back. The flames subsided to leave a folded piece of paper to fall into his lap.

It was a message from Phoenix, saying that a few things had come up and it would take a bit longer for him to return. And saying that the dining hall they had been brought to when they had first arrived would allow them to get a proper meal, instead of soda and popcorn. They all had to agree that they were a bit hungry for some different food and they all left together.

When they arrived, the dining table was already set up with plates, glasses, and silverware. They all sat down and once the last person was sat down, the plates erupted in a purple flame before they extinguished themselves and left the meal in question that each person was craving at that moment. They all started to dig in before devolving into their own separate conversations.

The adults were discussing what they would do with Ironwood's fleet once they were back in their own world. With his little talk with the Writer, Ironwood decided to try to put a bit more faith in his fellow Headmaster. He wouldn't send them back to Atlas, at least not all of them, but he would talk about what would be the best course with Ozpin and Goodwitch. And even Qrow, he was surprisingly a good strategist when he wasn't drunk. The lack of alcohol he could get his hands on in this world was having him ration out his flask and he only had about two-thirds, if not less, left in it.

Meanwhile, the students were in their own group at the other end of the table. They were having their own discussions. Most of them were going over everything they had seen in the worlds that they had seen so far and speculating on what others they would see. Well, most of them were. But Pyrrha and Yang were sat next to each other and were discussing a different matter altogether. Pyrrha was currently speaking, "You're positive this is the best way to go about this, Yang?"

Yang nodded as she cut another piece off her steak, "Trust me, Pyrrha. When we get back, we'll just ask Jaune to come with us. We'll find a more secluded spot and tell him that we both have feelings for him. We tell him that even if he doesn't have feelings for us, it won't change the fact that we'll be friends." She then put the piece of meat in her mouth and started to chew it.

Pyrrha nodded as she took a sip of her water, "Okay but what if he doesn't know if he has feelings for either of us? What then?"

Yang was thinking as she was still chewing her food. She swallowed before she answered, "Maybe we both take him out on a date?" Pyrrha went wide eyes at that, "_Separate_ dates, Pyrrha. We both just have a good time with him and let him think about it. That way, even if one of us doesn't get together with him, we'll still have one date to look back on, right?"

Pyrrha thought for a bit before a small smile came to her lips, "I guess that's a good point and I'm not really against it."

Yang smiled back, "So it's settled then."

"You know, there is another option there." Said a familiar voice from the other side of Pyrrha. Both froze before they both turned to look at the grinning Valkyrie.

"How long have you been listening?" Pyrrha asked with a slight blush.

Nora shrugged, "I wasn't really listening, at least not on purpose. But you two were talking about this while I'm sitting right next to you."

Pyrrha placed her hand over her face to hide her embarrassment. Yang however was looking past the Champion to look at the ginger, "So, what is this other option you were talking about?"

Nora just grinned at them, "Well, what if you two do both go on a date with him but that just makes him even more confused? Like he figures out he has feelings for _both_ of you. What would happen then?" The brawler and champion look at each other, neither really having an answer to that scenario. "Would you both start dating him then?"

Both just blushed and turned away from each other. Pyrrha decided to just start staring at her plate while Yang's eyes went up to study the ceiling above them. Nora just looked at the two and smirked evilly, she was doing everything in her power to not just start laughing at them there and then. Did she really think that was a possibility? Who knew? But it was fun to see these two like this.

Besides, she had seen many strange things while on the road with Ren. Two people dating the same person wasn't even in the top twenty. And it might be good for all three of them. Especially Jaune. He needed someone that could love him for him, no matter what shortcomings he had. Plus, being able to date either of them, two of the heartthrobs of their year, would definitely give his confidence a much needed boost. Finally, despite how confident and strong the two of them were, Nora knew that both girls needed someone that would be there for them when they were at their lowest. Something neither of them had growing up. And her Fearless Leader was nothing if not caring and supportive.

The two were spared from any more questions when a large bout of orange fire manifested against the far wall of the dining hall. They all turned and were just in time to see Phoenix walk through the fire, lowering the hood of his hoodie on his head with a small grin on his lips. He stopped ten feet or so from the table and nodded to everyone, "Sorry, for the delay. A few things came up. How was your dinner?"

"Everything was great. Thank you again, Phoenix." Winter replied politely. She wasn't exaggerating either. She hadn't had a meal that flavorful since she left the Schnee Manor years ago.

Phoenix just shook his head slightly, "Think nothing of it. I am the one that brought you here. The least I can do is give you a good meal."

"What did take you so long?" Tai asked, sat next to his younger daughter. She was still ignoring her sister and he decided to stay close to her. Besides, he really didn't have a part in the politics from being discuss by his fellow adults.

Phoenix scratched the back of his head with a somewhat sheepish look on his face. "Honestly, this was the firsts time I tried to enter a world that I had stopped time in. When I went to your world in the first place, I froze time as I entered. Trying to go back in was like trying to get in through a wall of concrete. Had to be careful to not undo the stasis I put your world in. Took some time but I figured how to do it."

Everyone looked at him in bewilderment and he shrugged, "I may know how to manipulate the energies of the Multiverse but that doesn't mean I know how to use every single iteration or every single way on how to use them." He then took a deep breath, "And back to business, this next guest is going to be a mix batch of reactions from all of you. So, I'm going to ask you all now to please stay calm and stay seated for the time being."

That made everyone a bit confused but all eventually nodded after giving each other looks. Phoenix nodded at that and held his hand out to the far wall he had just come from. The orange flames erupted once again and when they were gone, a single person was standing there.

It was an older woman, wearing a black and red robe with legging and boots on her legs and fingerless gloves with armored gauntlets. At her waist was a sheathed sword but very few were paying attention to that. She had pale skin, long black hair, and crimson eyes. But most shockingly was the uncanny resemblance between her and Yang. And the adults and Yang knew who she was. Raven Branwen.

Everyone was just staring at her in shock while Raven was looking around baffled at where she was. Until her eyes landed on the dining table and saw so many familiar faces. Her body tensed as her hand went to Omen as her gaze settled on Ozpin, Glynda and Ironwood. "Raven?" Qrow asked in shock.

"M-mom?" Yang asked in almost a trance-like voice. She was staring wide eyed at her estranged mother. Raven's eyes settled on her daughter and they widened further.

"Well, this is going better than I expected so far." Phoenix said in relief as she was looking at everyone in his dining hall.

Raven's eyes snapped over to the Writer and her hand went around her sword, "Who are you and where am I?"

Phoenix just gave her a small grin, "Well, you can call me Phoenix and, for a lack of better term, you are in my home: The Phoenix Roost."

"Why am I here?" she growled.

"Same reason they are." Phoenix waved his hand to the other guests, who were all still staring at the new arrival. "Here, instead of me explaining this to you. This should work better." He raised his right hand and a small indigo flame ignited in his palm.

Seeing that, Raven mistook it as the beginning of an attack. She fired Omen from her sheathe, aiming the handle to hit him in the forehead. But as his eyes landed on the weapon, it became engulfed by the same orange fire and was gone, stunning the leader of the Branwen Tribe.

His eyes then landed on Raven as he gave her a deadpanned look. "Really? If I was going to attack you, I would've done so instead of bringing you here." He started to walk towards her and she tensed again. "Please, calm down. Unless you wanna reveal that _secret _of yours to everyone here."

She just stared at him in shock. 'How does he know I'm the Spring Maiden.' He stopped an arm's length from her and she just stared at him, "How do you know about that?"

He gave her a small grin, "This should explain that." With that he raised his hand and the indigo flames moved to the tip of his index finger. He then gently pressed it to her forehead. It did not burn her but instead, sunk into her skin. Her eyes flashed indigo for a second before she shook her head and clenched the side of it. "My head…"

He nodded, "The headache is normal. Should fade in a few seconds." He then turned to his other guests, "My indigo flames manipulates the Multiversal aspect of 'Mind'. With it I can transfer knowledge, create illusions, alter memories and the list goes on. I just gave Raven a condensed version of what we talked about when you all entered here."

"Why didn't you save us time and do that to us?" Ruby asked.

He shrugged, "Wanted to make a good first impression and giving you all headaches wouldn't do that." He chuckled, "Don't care nearly enough about making Raven like me though."

That earned him a glare from said woman, "So, you brought me here to watch alternate worlds of some blonde fool I know nothing about. Why waste my time with that?"

He just smirked at her, "I have my reasons. Some of which you'll hopefully figure out while you're here." He then turned to the room as a whole, "If you're all done eating, let's get back so I can show you the next worlds." As he turned to leave, he looked to Raven and the sheathe to Omen was engulfed in his orange flames, transporting it back to Remnant. Raven sent him another glare but that didn't make his smirk fade in the slightest.

Phoenix lead the way back down the hall with Raven not far behind, still trying to glare a hole through the back of his head. The rest were several feet behind them. The adults were all discussing what this could mean while the students were just looking between Raven and Yang, the obvious questions going unasked for the time being.

Yang was still just staring at her mother. She had so many questions she wanted to ask. So many things she wanted to do. But now with her finally in front of her, she had no idea on what to do. She just kept staring at the woman as her hands shook. She nearly jumped when she felt a hand take her own. She looked to her left to see her sister giving her a nervous smile but a look that just said, I'm here.'

Yang gave her a watery smile before she pulled her close for a hug. "Love you, sis." She whispered to her. They eventually all gathered back in the small theater room and all took their seats. Raven sat back in the third and final row, all the way to the left. That way she had her back to the wall and could keep an eye on everyone. Plus it was the closest seat to the door.

"Alright. This world will be a bit different." Phoenix said with an excited grin. "In this world, Jaune is the leader of a covert military group known as Bolverk Squad. They were a group of four advanced soldiers that were sent in to accomplish 'suicide' missions because they were the only ones capable of making it out alive."

"What do you mean by 'advanced'?" Ironwood asked, his interest being peaked.

"The members were mostly cyborgs and a single android." The Writer explained.

"Jaune is a cyborg!" Ruby asked in excitement.

Phoenix nodded, "Yes and the leader of the squad. He is known among them by the codename: Omega. The other two cyborgs go by the codenames Xero and Askad."

"And the android?" Winter asked but had some suspicion on who it was.

Phoenix just smirked, "I'll leave that for you to find out." He picked up his red tome and opened the pages for a fireball to rise from it. "We will see the last chapter to this tale. So prepare yourselves. We're in for a ride." The fireball shot off into the screen bringing it to life.

**The world opened up to an alley and soon a familiar, yet older, blonde man started to run through it. His blonde hair was wild and his face was covered in blood. He had a look of determination on his face as his voice began to narrate. "Omega's final log: Both Xero and I were betrayed by our own people after XV's demise." He stopped by a fence and fired his submachine gun down the alley, stopping only when a bullet barely missed his head. "We still have yet to know why." **

"Another world where he is betrayed?" Ruby whined.

Phoenix shrugged, "If it helps, not by any of you. This was more… pragmatic? Depending on your outlook on it."

"What was the reason for this betrayal?" Ozpin asked with a raised eyebrow. Phoenix just motioned to the screen as his answer.

**He climbed up the fence before jumping over the top and to the other side. He looked over to a door that lead to a warehouse. "We posed no threat against P.E.N.N.Y.'s energy reactor." He then shot opened the door and kicked it in.**

"Wait, Penny?" Weiss asked with a raised eyebrow. "She's a part of this group?"

"If so, it sounds like she was the one that betrayed Arc and the rest of his squad." Winter told her younger sister. Her earlier suspicions were starting to look more realistic and she wasn't sure how to process that. She looked to the General for input but he just gave her a look that said he wasn't entirely sure either.

**The screen then showed the top of a building. Ren was being surrounded by several men with weapons. **

"Ren! Look! You're there too." Nora said excitedly.

Ren nodded, "I see it too. Was I part of Jaune's squad?"

Phoenix nodded, "You were known as Xero."

"So you two are brothers-in-arms then." Ironwood nodded to himself. "I wonder how these versions of yourselves work with each other."

**He looked them all over with a calm eye and smirk. He had two swords in his hands. One, which looked like a scimitar, was held diagonally in front of him in his left hand while his right sword, this one like a katana, was resting on his shoulder. "They jailed us like dogs, waiting for our execution."**

"Execution?" Pyrrha gasped. Her heart dropped for her crush and teammate. Nora held Ren close like a security blanket when she heard that.

**One of the men behind him fired but Ren just moved out of the way so he shot his fellow man. In the same motion he threw his right sword into the gunman's chest, killing him. He looked back to his front to see the two other men looking at the shot up man then back to him as another man landed on top of the air condition unit behind them. He turned to his back to see that a mechanized soldier landing between the other two human soldiers, ready to attack him. It was covered in steel plating with claws like fingers and three clawed feet. It's face was just a glowing white cross visor.**

Blake winced slightly, "Guess this world isn't going to shy away from blood, is it?"

"No…" Phoenix supplied. "Probably should've said something beforehand. My bad."

"What is that automaton there?" Ozpin asked as he pointed to the new arrival.

"It's called a Leviathan. It's the organization that funded Bolverk Squad's first real advancement in a robotic soldiers. It's can't think on it's own and it has little weaponry but they are a force to be reckoned with."

"**Needless to say, they failed." Ren just pulled something off his belt and looked down at it. It looked like a foot long container with some sort of blue liquid in it. The words, Downloading Vertebral Armor Xero v3.7, were on a screen there. A loading bar below it was showing its progress to be nearly done. **

No one could make heads or tails of the strange object. Not even those who were around the advanced technology of Atlas on a daily basis.

**Back in the warehouse, another man was trying to attack Jaune with a knife. He skillfully dodged away from the blade before hitting him with a left hook followed up by a knee to his gut, sending him back. He then pulled out his submachine gun and fired into his head killing him. He then jumped back behind a corner so he wouldn't get shot by another man down the hall. He then ducked behind a crate to cover himself from bullets coming from behind him. **

"**Betrayal won't go unpunished." He pulled out a similar container to Ren's but this one had red liquid in it and a needle attached to the other end.**

"A syringe?" Goodwitch asked.

"So, what's the liquid and what is it supposed to go in then?" Qrow asked as he scrutinized the screen.

**He shoved the needle into his chest and the liquid began to empty into him. The screen showed the vial read: Downloading Vertebral Armor Omega v7.1 and a completed loading bar below it. "Every single one of them have a meeting with the reaper, and they won't miss it. No exceptions… End of log." The screen then went white.**

**When the screen came back on, Jaune was standing head to toe in heavy and high-tech armor. The armor was black with dark grey armored segments over the more important parts of his body. The armor had several red accents as well. His gloves were equally armored by the interior of the hands were red. A red Omega symbol was on the center of his chest while four triangular green lights, two on either side of it, stretched from the mark across his chest to the sides. On his back was a sheathe for a large knife that went over his right shoulder for easy access. His entire head was covered by a similar helmet that left his blonde hair to be free. And a green, glowing cross-like visor was all that allowed him to see.**

"Woah! That looks so cool!" Ruby gushed. "The liquid inside turned into armor?"

"Not quite." Phoenix answered. "The syringe was downloading the necessary information into the liquid and once it was injected into a suitable body, it would allow the person to don the armor."

"So, anybody could've done that?" Yang asked, thinking how badass it would be to wear something like that.

"No." Phoenix shook his head. "Cervical armor can only be worn by cyborgs. A normal human couldn't deal with strain it placed on the body." He then motioned to the screen. "This version of the Omega armor is focused on high defense and offensive power but sacrifices speed. Jaune is a juggernaut while wearing it."

**The screen then showed Ren looking down, he was wearing similar armor. His was mostly grey with blue armor going from his stomach up to his chest. He had a similar knife and sheath on his own back but his went over his left shoulder. His gloves weren't as armored, they covered the back of his hands but the fingers and palms seemed to be covered by white bandages wrapped around them. His boots were simple but had a blade on each heel, turned upwards. A white scarf was around his neck and the lowered part of his face but a few feet of the end was free, allowing it to blow in the wind. His hair was also free but it fell over his face and the face plate that covered from his nose and over his eyes. He looked up revealing that the plate was divided down the middle and each side had six glowing red eyes.**

"Wow. Ren, you look intimidating." Pyrrha said as she stared in shock.

Ren was busy looking it over, "It doesn't look as strong as Jaune's."

"Good eye." Phoenix complimented. "Your armor has minimal protection to reduce on weight. The suit focuses more on high speed and devastating power output.

"How fast?" Ruby asked for obvious reasons.

"You'll see." The Writer smirked. "Oh, right. This will help you going forward." He snapped his fingers and a small orange flame appeared in front of the reaper before a large scroll fell into her lap. She looked at him in confusion but he turned back to the screen already.

**Down the hall from Jaune, a soldier peaked around the corner and saw the back of the armored man. He hid back behind the corner before he brought his hand to the communicator in his ear, "Target Omega has Cervical armor?! What the hell?!"**

**Back on Ren's roof top, the only surviving member of the group attacking Ren was voicing his own woes, "No idea! The other one did as well, they must- FUCK!" That is when a large, three-bladed shuriken flew and impaled him in the face. He fell to the ground unmoving. **

"Whoa! What is that weapon?" Ruby asked in excitement as she turned to Phoenix. He on the other hand didn't say a thing, just gave her an expectant smile. She raised an eyebrow and looked at him in confusion. That was until she gasped and picked up the scroll that appeared in her lap.

"Uh, whatcha doing there, sis?" Yang asked in confusion as everyone watched her nearly fumble the scroll.

She ignored her sister as she started to search through the scroll. She eventually stopped and shouted, "Here it is!" Yang and Weiss looked over her shoulder to see that there was a page that showed the weapon and its statistics.

Phoenix chuckled. "I thought you'd get a kick out of that. The information for all the weapons you'll see are in there. And your resident weapon lover will be the one to tell you all about them."

"Really?!" Ruby looked at him with stars in her eyes. He just nodded. "Cool!" she shouted before she cleared her throat and tried to be professional. "The Nightstar is based off shuriken and windmill shuriken. It is also capable of returning to the users hand after throws! Wow!"

At that moment, everyone who knew Ruby gave their host a look that just said, 'What have you done?' He just grinned and shrugged, unashamed.

**The Nightstar was then pulled from the corpse and flew back to Ren's waiting hand. He brough this other to his ear to use his own communicator. "Everything seems to be working just fine, how about you?"**

**Jaune stood there talking as bullets slammed into his armor but doing nothing to him. "All systems are in optimal conditions, most of our weaponry seems to be locked down though." He then looked back to the man shooting him and unloaded the last of his submachine gun down the hall.**

**Ren looked around to see more soldiers surrounding him. He opened his other hand and curved blade was summoned to his hand with a flash of white. He got into a defensive stance as he was surrounded. "Relax, this will be enough for now. I'll meet you at the train station, over and out."**

"The armor can summon weapons!?" Ruby said in excitement.

"Any that are in its weapon systems." Phoenix answered. "The armors can also summon ammo for any firearms they may use. Along with that, they can easily send the weapons back if they don't need it any longer."

"That is amazing." Ironwood said impressed. If his soldiers could do that, they could have access to complete arsenals and nearly unlimited ammo. They could be prepared for any situation or change on the battlefield. Plus, it could save the lives of his men. Maybe he could see if Pietro had any ideas on how to replicate it.

"What is that blade?" Pyrrha asked as she looked to the reaper.

"One second." Ruby asked as she skimmed through the information. "Ah. It's known as the All Purpose Sword or APS. A mass produced sword that is light, durable and expendable. Nothing too unique but useful."

**That was when they all pounced but one was quickly kicked off the building by Ren. He didn't stop there and bifurcated another with his APS. He turned and stopped a sledgehammer by another soldier with his throwable weapon before stabbing him with his sword. Ren quickly ducked and the poor fool got shot by the mechanical soldier behind him, sending him flying and the APS with it. Ren turned and the two charged at each other.**

"This version of you doesn't mess around, huh?" Yang asked after seeing that.

"It appears so." Ren said, somewhat unnerved by how quickly his other self was killing people.

"Remember. This Jaune and Ren are soldiers. Their whole career was built around killing people to protect innocent lives." Phoenix interrupted. "And everyone they are encountering are trying with everything they have to kill these two. It's killed or be killed. Just keep that in mind."

**The screen cut back to Jaune punching another soldier to the ground. He then ducked behind a corner to see another one firing at him. He charged directly at him, he got to him before the poor fool could fire and punched him through a wall. He turned and saw two more soldiers firing at him but he just ran into the wall he knocked a hole into. **

**The two soldiers were joined by a third when the wall behind them was smashed through just above their heads. There stood Jaune and he fired down upon them with an AK-47. Two of them died from the bullets but one was able to get his back against the wall to avoid them. The armored soldier jumped down before he spun and fired a single shot into his head. More people started to fire at him from down the hall, doing little to him. He tried to fire at them but his gun ran out of ammo. He dropped it and ran down the hall as the bullets bounced off his back before jumping out the window at the end of it. **

"Smart move." Qrow grinned.

"Indeed." Winter agreed, as much as it killed her. "Without a firearm, the advantage was with his enemies. They could've kept firing until he went down, depending on when that armor would give. Better to try to get to another location and figure out another strategy."

**Back to Ren, he had just slammed the mechanized soldier onto the wall will two deep cuts into its armor. He then leapt high into the air to deliver an axe kick to the top of its head, ending it by slamming the blade on his heel into the head. A human soldier landed behind him and charged but Ren dealt with him with a roundhouse that sent him off the roof.**

**Another soldier showed up, this one in high-tech orange armor. Not as advanced as the ones that Jaune and Ren were wearing but still. **

"Those are Vorpal Soldiers. They have mastered teleportation devices but because of how their suits are designed, they cannot use firearms in conjunction with them." Phoenix answered before anyone asked.

"A difficult opponent to deal with." Ozpin said before sipping his coffee. "It would probably take a good amount of skill or speed to overcome them. Maybe both."

**Ren threw his shuriken at him but the teleported away, letting the weapon sail off into the distance. That is when a second one teleported in with a sword and the first joining him, Ren just dropped into his martial arts stance in response.**

**Jaune found himself on a basketball court after his jump from the window. Behind him on the wall behind one of the hoops stood two more soldiers. Across from the weaponless man were two more armed soldiers. Jaune just looked at these two as he raised his left hand and clenched it.**

**One of those soldiers chuckled, "Looks like you can't do shit without a gun in your hands, huh?"**

**As soon as he said that Jaune cleared the distanced between them and sent him to the ground. As he tried to sit up, Jaune placed his boot on his chest as he pulled his fists back, "Wrong. Dead wrong." He then started to pummel him with his enhanced strength until the side of his head gave way. He stepped off the body as blood dripped from his hand as he clenched it.**

"Okay… this Jaune can also be pretty brutal…" Yang said after the literal pummeling. She was now a bit uncomfortable at seeing her crush do something that brutal. Most of the students felt the same way.

Raven just watched on; her interest had been peaked. 'Skilled and willing to do anything… Let's see how this goes.' She thought to herself.

**Meanwhile, Ren had one of the Vorpal soldiers against a wall and was laying into him with a series of rapid punches. Burying him deeper into the wall. He ended it by slamming both fists into his chest and jumping back. That was when the other soldier with the sword teleported above him and would've impaled him from above. Ren just nonchalantly jumped off the building while the other teleported away.**

"You just jumped off a building?" Pyrrha asked her teammate, stunned.

Before he could say anything, his partner did. "Ren will be fine. He's a cool cyborg, ninja demon after all." She said cheerfully.

"Demon?" Ren asked with a raised eyebrow.

"What?" Nora asked. "The armor makes you look like a demon." He couldn't fault her there.

**Jaune finally had a weapon in hand, a hand shotgun to be precise.**

As soon as Ruby saw it, she was going through her scroll. "Whoa! The Terminator! A lever action shotgun that shoots Explosive 00 Buck shells! Twelve shell capacity! Can shoot twenty shots per minute!"

"Ruby, you're drooling." Weiss said in dismay over her partner.

She wiped her chin in embarrassment, "Sorry." She said simply.

**He fired a shot and killed a soldier before he spun it in his hand, ejecting the shell and reloading it at once. He fired and killed a second before charging at the third but he luckily jumped back. Another soldier with an axe tried to sneak up on him but Jaune just aimed back and killed him without looking.**

"Now he's just showing off." Qrow said with a smirk.

"You do the same when trying to impress women, Qrow." Tai called him out with a smirk.

Qrow chuckled, "True." That caused Glynda, Winter and even Raven to roll their eyes in sync. Although none of them were dare admit it.

**Ren and the Vorpal were falling at the same speed but that didn't stop the ninja from pushing him into the building and creating a gouge in the side of the building as they did. He then pulled him from the building and slammed him into the road below, creating a crater as he landed next to the body, unfazed. He stood up and raised his hand to his ear, "Omega, how's the weapons situation coming along?"**

"**Hold on." Jaune said casually as he held a soldier in the air by his neck as he pummeled him. His shotgun holstered at the back of his waist. **

That got the students to laugh at the absurd and unnecessary method of taking down that man.

**He stopped when the body went limp but he pulled his gun and fired, splitting the body in half. He put his hand to his ear. "We have a higher clearance now but the rest seem to be locked down under special requirements." He then pointed his gun back to the body and fired again.**

"Overkill," Blake said in a deadpan.

"**The fuck? Which are?" Ren said in annoyance.**

There was silence as all the students and the teachers from Beacon slowly turned to Ren as he stared at himself on screen. "Ren?" Nora asked and he turned to her. "You can curse?"

**The person he slammed into the pavement started to rise as he got his answer. "Killing people."**

**Ren slammed his foot into the back of his head and driving him back into the ground. "Perfect…" Ren said sarcastically. "Just as heavy reinforcement is arriving." He looked down the road to see more teleporting soldiers and more of the average variety.**

"Sarcasm too?" Pyrrha asked now. Ren just looked down and sighed. This wasn't going to go away for a while. He could just tell.

**The screen pulled up to see a large airship flying above the city. Inside was Ironwood, staring at a screen with data about both the Omega and Xero armors. "Both targets, Omega and Xero seem to have successfully stole Cervical armor and have proven to be too lethal for regular infantry, over." He said over an intercom.**

"I'm involved in this?" Ironwood asked.

Phoenix nodded, "Sadly, you are the Overseer of the organization. And gave the order to take down Jaune and Ren."

"But why?" he asked again, just confused. "If they were doing their jobs, why would I order that."

"You'll see." The Writer replied, not wanting to ruin anything. Or make it seem he was attacking the General. He was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt after their conversation earlier.

**He quickly got a response from Arthur Watts, "Copy that. We will activate heavy-duty war drones and send in the Spartans, over and out."**

**Jaune was casually loading more shells into Terminator as he continued to speak to his teammate. "Actually, that's convenient. The higher your kill count is, the easier it will be to unlock our weapons." Another Leviathan and a more spherical drone appeared on either side of him. He just loaded and holster the gun to the back of his waist like it was completely normal. **

"Why is he so calm?" Weiss asked.

"He's a soldier." Winter replied to her sister. "A seasoned one at that. He's probably faced death on so many occasions that it's almost normal to him. The ability to be calm in the face of danger is a lifesaving skill to have."

**Ren was fighting another Vorpal and was holding back his sword with two extended blades from his left gauntlet. Two more extended from his right and he drove them into the soldier's chest before driving his other blades into his head. "Really?" Ren asked. He brought his hand to his ear, "What's the catch?" He asked in suspicion.**

**A large revolver appeared in Jaune's left hand with another flash of light. "By the looks of it…" He raised the new gun and opened the chamber to check it was loaded. "None." He snapped the chamber back and continued. "We will rendezvous at the train station."**

"What is that one, honey?" Tai asked from behind. He did like those old cowboy movies after all.

"Looking it up now." She told him. "It's called Joy, Colt version… guess there were multiple versions. Anyways, it's a double barreled revolver that fires two .50 millimeter rounds simultaneously. Holds twelve rounds in the chamber. So. Cool!" She grinned.

"But that does mean that he still only has six shots." Pyrrha mentioned.

"And loading a revolver can be time consuming. And can be risky." Weiss added, having to deal with something similar with her own weapon when she ran out of Dust.

"**Race you there." Ren said cockily as the blades on his hands retracted. He then reacted to his waist and pulled out two brass knuckles. He twirled them around his fingers before slipping them on. As he did, two blades extended from the bottom of them making them look more like trench knives.**

"Ruby?" Blake asked this time.

She just hummed as she was looking. "Here. Huh? They're called Boomknives?" she tilted her head in confusion.

"Really?" Blake asked, not sounding like she believed her.

"That's what it says." She defended. "Based off trench knives. Made light, durable and sharp… kinda average…"

**He ran forward to attack the first Vorpal soldier. He delivered two slashes that the teleporter deflected with his sword before being pushed back. Ren lowered himself to pounce but his target and the other Vorpal behind him vanished . That didn't stop the cyborg from leaping onto the normal soldier still there. He was forced to the ground before Ren unloaded several punches from the knuckle duster part of his weapon. The other Vorpal, the one with a mace, appeared above Ren but he just jumped forward to avoid the attack and deliver a thrust kick to another soldier's face. **

**As he landed back on his feet, the first Vorpal appeared behind him. The ninja went for a kick but his opponent just deflected the blow with his sword. The two stared each other down as the soldier who had been kicked in the face aimed his machine gun at their target's back. The teleporter ducked as he fired. Ren simply side stepped and performed a back kick to his face, rendering him unconscious.**

Yang chuckled, "He should've stayed down."

**He planted his foot before aiming the blade part of his knives at his opponent, firing both at him and stabbing into his chest. They stuck into his armor but did nothing.**

"That didn't seem too effective." Goodwitch critiqued. "The armor was too thick to-"

**That was when they started to glow before they exploded, killing the man.**

That stopped what she was saying and everyone turned to Ruby. She just looked at them, "What? There's nothing else here. I already…" She stopped as she flipped to the next page. "Oops… it continued onto the next page." She laughed weakly. "Sorry… Um, by pressing the knuckles hard enough, it fires the blades with the built in pressurized ejector. Once the blades stick into anything, the explosive charges in the blades will detonate in a concussive shockwave. The blades are instantly rebuilt for the weapon. Okay, that makes it cooler."

**Jaune had managed to grab a soldier and use him as a human shield as he used the same man's gun to fire upon the other soldiers around him. When he served his purpose, Jaune shoved him forward and shot him as well before turning to the Leviathan and fired the grenade attachment the stolen gun had at it at near point blank range. **

**With it dealt with, Jaune dropped the more regular firearm before ducking under the stab by the Vorpal that appeared on the scene. He was then grabbed by the throat and lifted off the ground before being slammed into the ground behind the cyborg. He then jumped back while drawing both his guns, Joy-Colt in his right and Terminator in his left. That was when the large spherical drone tried to crush him before trying to pouncing towards him when it missed.**

"I'm sorry but that drone is not very intimidating. Or frightening." Pyrrha spoke up.

"If it wasn't trying to kill our teammates and was pink, it could be cute though." Nora added. Most of the girls stopped to think about what she said. Phoenix meanwhile chuckled since the drone was literally known as K.I.R.B.Y.

**Jaune managed to catch it and use his strength to throw it down to the ground. He fired at it several times with both his weapons, putting it down. That was when another Leviathan landed behind him. He turned and fired at it with his shotgun but it had enough sense to deflect the barrel with the blades on its arm, the scattershot missing completely. Undeterred Jaune jumped back and spun to fire thrice with his revolver, killing it before it could close the distance and land in a heap at his feet.**

**Ren was slashing into a Leviathan at such a speed that the viewers only saw flashes of light and ended it quickly. He spun around to deal with the spherical drone that was trying to lock onto him with its top mounted minigun. Ren slipped in quick and dealt with it with another series of lightning quick slashes. The last of the Vorpal pair from earlier tried to capitalize but he didn't have time to blink before Ren had slashed him as quickly as he had done to the two machines. He didn't stop there and was now slashing the bullets being fired at him from further up the road.**

"Ren, that's amazing!" Nora said in excitement.

Ren nodded, "It is but I don't think I could deflect bullets in our world though."

"Nonsense!" Nora shouted. "You just need to practice."

"Practice?" he asked with a slight tremor of fear in his voice.

"Yeah! I'll talk to Coco when we get back. I'm sure she would be happy to help out." She said with a megawatt grin.

Ren's eyes slowly panned over to his last teammate. Pyrrha just gave him a shrug and a look that just said, 'What can I do?' His eyes then panned over to their sister team but the girls of RWBY were busy looking anywhere else but at him.

**He charged forward while still slicing the bullets out of the air. As he reached a small group of soldiers, he jump and spun while still slashing. He managed to kill the soldiers while still defending himself from the bullets being fired at him. **

"He's pretty fast." Ruby nodded. "But _I'm_ still faster." She finished with a smirk.

"When was the last time _you_ deflected bullets?" Yang asked with a raised eyebrow.

"The answer better be never." Tai threatened from the row behind his daughters.

"I don't need to deflect them. I'm fast enough to dodge them. Much safer and cooler." Ruby said with a confident grin as she crossed her arms over her chest.

**When he reached the man firing at him, Ren kicked him high into the air before jumping up and spinning, cleaving his head from his body. When he landed, he was pincered between two Leviathans. One lunged towards him but the ninja jumped backwards and off the one behind him to launch himself into the air. He came back down and drove another average soldier into the pavement before ducking under the sword slash of the Vorpal behind him. **

**Ren jumped and placed his boot on the top of the sword wielder's head, driving him into the pavement as well. He looked behind and saw the Leviathan closing in. Without turning, her fired one of his Boomknife's blades into its chest and blowing a large hole there. He spun and fired the other blade into its faceplate, that detonation finally put it down. With a flick of his wrists, the blades were replaced and he took off towards the other Leviathan. Dodging its bullets by rolling on the ground before leaping at it again.**

**Jaune was now wielding a pair of new guns. They were more square and had three different barrels organized vertically. Each one had a large clip at the end of each handle, looking like some fusion of a handgun and submachinegun. **

Weiss turned to her partner, "Ruby-"

"I'm looking, I'm looking!" Ruby said in excitement. Her enthusiasm for firearms was leaking through. "Here it is, the Ballistica. Has three barrels that each fire a three bullet burst. Fires 5.56 mm superheated rounds! The magazines hold two hundred-seventy rounds each! Has a Full Auto function to fire two thousand rounds per minute!"

"Ruby! Honey, breathe before you pass out!" Tai said in worry at his youngest daughter looking like she about to start hyperventilating. She listened to her father and took several deep breaths, letting her lightheadedness fade away.

**He was firing at several soldiers in front of him before ducking under another grenade and continuing to fire. After that, he began to spin while firing, killing any soldiers around him. Either with a single gun or both in different directions or even the same direction. He'd jump if he needed to and fired into the air to take out any potential aerial attackers. At one point, he had to reload. So he ejected the clips as he raised his arms before summoning new clips as he brought his arms back down, continuing the carnage with only a few seconds of silence. He eventually stopped when he turned and saw another grenade coming towards his face. **

"I have to admit, this version of Mr. Arc has an aptitude and mastery of firearms that is truly astounding." Ozpin observed.

"Do you think that our Jaune Arc could be that adept with training?" Ironwood asked his fellow Headmaster.

"I'm not sure." The old soul replied. "He has shown little interest in using firearms."

"I'll ask him when we get back." Ruby answered, they were speaking loud enough for everyone to hear them. "I mean, he is the only one among us that has no long range options. Plus with all of our expertise, we can probably find him one gun he feels comfortable with."

Most of the students were agreeing with her point. While that was happening Raven was thinking to herself, 'If this Jaune can be that great of a gunslinger, he may be someone I should keep my eye on. Even without it, if this 'Writer' has been observing his alternate selves for so long, he must have some sort of potential I may be able to use.'

**Back on the highway, Ren has just jumped on top of a speeding car as a new kind of Leviathan was chasing him. It was green with two parallel horizontal white visors on the face and a turbine on its back to give it greater speed.**

"That is a Fenix. Since the regular Leviathans lack mobility, they were approved upon by giving them those turbines. Even more deadly because of that." Phoenix answered the question he was expecting.

**It charged at its target. Ren just brought his left fist to his other open palm and as he pulled them apart, four deep red threads were connecting the two together.**

"What are those?" Nora asked as she tilted her head. "Is that supposed to be a weapon?"

"Let me check." Ruby said out loud as she started to look through the tablet again. "Uh, yeah. It is and it is pretty intimidating."

"Well, don't leave us in suspense, Kiddo" Qrow smirked at his niece. "What are those things?"

"Well, they're known as Bloodwires. Diamond hard wires that sync with the user's blood. As a range weapon, they excel in slashing and constricting opponents." Ruby explained. "I would not like to be against those."

**When the Fenix was close enough, Ren threw his hands forward and two Bloodwires from each hand wrapped around the android, binding it. He pulled his arms back and caused the wires to tear through it and explode. He couldn't enjoy his handy work for long since the vehicle he was riding on was hit by an explosive.**

"I'm feeling less regretful towards these soldiers the longer this goes on, Sir." Winter told her superior as he eyes narrowed slightly at the screen.

"Agreed." Ironwood nodded gravely. "There is no excuse for shooting an explosive at a _civilian_ vehicle. No matter who they're trying to capture or bring down."

**The force sent him forward and Ren looked down to see that he was flying over the roadblock and the soldier that had set it up. He managed to land on one in the back and made the poor man go face first into the pavement and be dragged several dozen feet down the highway. That ended up grinding most of his front away.**

Yang shuddered slightly, "And I thought road rash from Bumblebee was bad."

"I really hope we don't see what he'll look like afterwards." Weiss said, as she looked away from the scree to only see it in her peripherals.

"Same." Ruby, Pyrrha and Nora all parroted. Blake and Ren just nodded along with their teammates. No one was that curious about it.

**He eventually jumped off his human sled and into a thrust kick that went into the face of a soldier that started to fire at him. He finally landed on the pavement and stopped. He threw his right hand forward and captured the Vorpal soldier with three Bloodwires. Even the advanced armor didn't stop him from being slashed to ribbons.**

**Ren was once again being fired at, this time from a soldier on an elevated platform. He used his left arm to throw three more wires to ensnare and shred him. Two more Fenix came down and he started to run down the hallway to create distance. A Leviathan was in his path so he used his wires again to bind it before it could try anything. He threw it towards the lead Fenix behind him, causing both to explode. The other one managed to stop but with blur of black and red, Ren was above him and kicked it down.**

"How did he get up there!?" Ruby said stunned.

Yang shrugged, "No idea, Sis. He moved so quick; I only saw a blur."

Ruby turned around, "Did any of you see what happened, Professor?" she asked her Headmaster.

He just shook his head, "Even my eyes missed it, regrettably."

"That doesn't surprise me." Everyone turned to Phoenix. "That was a feature of his armor called the Mach 3 Burst. Or nicknamed Blur."

"Mach 3?" Goodwitch looked stunned. "How can he survive that?"

"The armor mostly." He answered evenly.

Yang then looked to her sister and smirked, "What was that about being faster than him, Rubes?" That just made her cross her arms and pout which made Yang laugh at her misfortune.

Raven meanwhile still observed the screen, 'The other one isn't that bad either.' He eyes wandered to the back of Ren's head, 'I could find a way to test him after. Maybe see what this one can do.'

**There wasn't enough force to send it to the ground but Ren used both arms to wrap it in Bloodwires. He then started to spin his body to send the robot spinning around him. He kept spinning until her was close to the ground and slammed it on top of a small group of soldiers, dealing with the lot with the ensuing explosion.**

**Ren jumped back and threw his arm behind him, capturing three more soldiers, one Vorpal included. With one pull, they were dealt with. Three more were on his other side, so he threw both hands forward to entangle them. The one in the back was unlucky enough to have only his head ensnared. Another pull and they were dealt with too. With that, Ren fell to a knee and was breathing unevenly.**

"Looks like your other self is tiring, Ren." Weiss looked at him in slight concern.

"Not surprising." He replied as he kept watching. "He's been running and fighting this whole time. And he's only been using physical weapon, nothing with much of a range."

"You'll be fine!" Nora chirped. "Both you and Jaune are awesome in this world. No way you'll lose." She said happily but only Ren felt her grip on him tighten and that showed how nervous she actually was.

**He quickly looked behind himself to see five more soldiers ready to take advantage of his weakened state. To his front was four more and another Vorpal. **

"You're surrounded." Pyrrha said nervously.

**Ren stood up but kept looking at the ground. His hand at his sides unclenched before clenching again. He crossed his arms over his chest with his hands opened. A series of deep red lights were coming from his hands. He threw his hands out and as he clenched them, a massive web of Bloodwires manifested around him. Every soldier was suspended in the air and completely immobilized.**

"How did he do that?!" Nora asked in excitement. Relieved that Ren had pulled off a lifesaving maneuver.

"I don't know. It doesn't say." Ruby was busy looking through her information on the weapon but found nothing.

"Oh, sorry. I must've forgotten to add that detail." Phoenix spoke up again. "Ren and Jaune can overcharge their weapons to make them more powerful. But Ren is usually more prone to it. Anyways, he overcharged the Bloodwires so he could cover a fifty meter range."

"So he covers a larger area at the cost of more energy. Not too different from some Semblances then." Tai stated as he rubbed his chin, digesting this new information.

**He pulled both his hands down and liquefied the soldiers. Making it rain blood on him and the area around him. Staining the wraps around his hands and face red. **

"That was unnecessary." Goodwitch said with a deadpan. Everyone else were trying to deal with processing the image of Ren liquefying all those people and not doing too well. Luckily, all their meals stayed down though.

**Jaune was now wielding a new gun. It had a circular center with armor plating extending backwards, giving it a sloped appearance. It had a red accent and two blade: one under the barrel pointing forward and another at the stock, pointing down. He fired a large round from the gun and the entire gun spun forward around the circular center, reloading the next round. **

"What do you have for us now?" Yang said as she looked over her sister's shoulder.

Ruby didn't answer as she looked through the information. "Called the Armadillo, a portable rocket launcher that fires .80 HE Semi-Homing Missiles…" There was a brief pause where everyone turned to her. "How?! Can hold up to _eighty_ missiles and can shoot up to ten missiles a minute! Designed for close quarters combat with two bayonets on the front and rear side, along with its armor plating being made from an alloy strong enough to withstand most impacts!"

"What!?" Nora shouted as she ran over and looked at the tablet upside down, "How do I get one!?"

**The first round hit the back of a soldier trying to evacuate the pedestrians in the subway station, causing an impressive explosion. Before the Leviathan on standby could react, the second round slammed into its chase, disabling it. **

**Jaune jumped the barricade and landed between his latest victims. Armadillo still in hand, rotating to reload and Ballistica in his left. He fired a burst into a soldier charging him before firing an explosion at another dazed soldier on the ground. Another showed up and fired at him with a shotgun but the juggernaut just leapt into the air before firing another burst from his left hand, killing him. **

**Another tried to rush him with a sword but Jaune slashed him upwards across the face with the forward bayonet on Armadillo, making him drop his sword. He then stabbed the blade into the guys center and fired a pointblank round, the explosive round carried him several dozen feet down the station before hitting a crowd of other soldiers, the explosion killing them all. **

"It still impresses me how he is coming up with effective yet brutal strategies in combat." Ironwood said as he turned to his colleague. "Are you sure we have nothing to worry about from him, Oz?"

Ozpin chuckled before taking a sip of his coffee, "I am very sure, James. Mr. Arc has a good heart and a pure soul. We don't have to worry about him doing anything too dangerous… Well, unless someone threatens his friends or loved ones that is."

**Jaune was now engaged with a Vorpal with a mace. The seasoned soldier stopped the spiked weapon with his submachine gun as his explosive gun reloaded. Jaune stepped back from the teleporter to set him off balance before swinging at him with his left arm, throwing the poor fool in front of the oncoming train.**

**Jaune fired another explosive round down the station but this one was stopped by another armored soldier. It looked similar to the Vorpals but the armor was red and it had a massive glowing riot shield that stopped the explosive with little issue. It then drew the sword at its side and the edge of it was pure energy.**

"Those are the Spartans that were mentioned earlier." Phoenix explained. "Their shields are design to withstand any damage and will stay active as long as the soldier is alive."

"I would do anything to have my soldiers outfitted with those." Ironwood said wistfully.

**Two more Spartans joined the first, forming a shield wall with their swords at the ready. While three soldiers stood behind them and fired their own explosive rounds at the Cervical Armor wearer. Jaune shot the first out of the air, jumped forward to avoid the second then raised Armadillo in front of him to block the third with its armored side. He slid back but was unharmed. He dismissed his Ballistica as he was getting hit with bullets but still having little effect before aiming his explosive weapon again. He fired another round but this one just flew around in the air in an irregular pattern before finally flying towards the soldiers.**

"What is up with that one?" Qrow said as he leant forward in his seat. "Is it defective or something?"

**A close up showed that it was more cylindrical than the usual rounds. That's when a drill came out of the front with two pincer looking attachments.**

Everyone's eyes went wide. "Oh, that isn't going to be good." Ruby said weakly as she started to bring her hood up for when the inevitable would happen.

**It changed its course to fly above the Spartans and right above the one in the center. It then flew directly down and started to burrow into the man's skull. **

Everyone, Raven included, winced at the sight and sound of the drill fulfilling its purpose. "What twisted bastard came up with that?" Qrow said, slightly nauseated.

"I have no idea." Winter said, feeling just as sick. "But they should really have a psyche evaluation and many therapy sessions afterwards."

"I think that is the first thing you've said that I can agree with, Ice Queen." He replied.

**He ran forward, screaming in pain and holding his helmeted head. Before he eventually, ran back to his comrades where it finally exploded. One Spartan survived but was sent onto the tracks where he was hit by a train when he tried to celebrate surviving the payload.**

**Several more Spartans ran forward as three soldiers stood back. Two were firing at him with their machine guns while the third fired an RPG. Jaune however had managed to stab one of the Spartans in the back and was using him and his shield to protect himself from the bullets and rocket while trying to get a hold of Ren. "Things are hectic here, where are you?"**

**The screen cut away to the city and above the buildings was a figure was hovering. The figure was obscured by shadow but the voice was familiar to a few there. "They are tearing your troops apart. Why don't you let me take care of them?"**

"Penny?" Ruby asked. She was stunned to hear from her friend.

"We did hear earlier that she would be in this universe." Weiss pointed out to her.

"I know but I didn't think we'd actually see her in it."

**Ironwood answered her over their comms, "That's a big negative. We will crush them with the new prototypes."**

**Penny sighed, "Your obstinance will be your downfall, old man."**

"Old man?" Ironwood asked in a mix of shock and indignity.

"I've never heard Penny be anything besides polite and courteous." Winter said, just as stunned as her superior.

"Maybe she finally hit her rebellious stage. All teenagers go through one." Qrow said cheekily. Tai groaned and ran a hand down his face. One could argue that his daughters were still in that stage and he was shocked he didn't have any grey hairs because of it.

**Back in the train station, another RFG was coming for Jaune. Without his Spartan to offer protection, he sidestepped and grabbed the tail end of the RPG as it flew by. He fired Armadillo at another Spartan; the explosion forced him to raise his shield where Jaune swung the RPG into his side. **

"Okay, that was badass!" Yang said in excitement. "That was something you'd see in an action movie."

"Told you our Fearless Leader was awesome." Nora added with her usual megawatt smile.

"The amount of skill you'd need to pull that off…" Pyrrha added as she continued to stare.

**Another quickly took his place and the two soldiers battled using their swords and bayonets. Neither able to land a blow until Jaune managed to grab the handle of the sword, pulling it from its owner's hands. Giving him a chance to slash him across the face before blowing him away with another explosive.**

**Another soldier started to fire at him but he just dismissed his weapon before charging the enemy. He jumped and slammed both of his fists onto the top of his head, whether he was dead or unconscious was up in the air. He jumped back as another Spartan tried to slice him in two. But Jaune stepped forward with a, ironically, Spartan kick. That sent him onto his back and made him drop his weapons. He then grabbed the fool by the foot and raised him over his head to slam him into the ground twice. He then picked him up and literally tore him in half with his bare hands, covering himself in blood. **

"Too much!" Ruby said as she covered your eyes.

"I have to agree." Blake said, feeling sick.

"And completely unnecessary." Weiss continued.

**Ren looked to be a more natural location, possibly a park. He was hidden behind a hill as explosions were going off in front of it. He now had what looked to be a black metal katana sheathe, there were two rapidly spinning cylinders on the sheathe, one at the handle below a blue oval pommel and the other before the last third of the sheathe. **

"Ruby." Ren got her attention. "There's new weapon." He was hoping that this would take her mind off that grizzly display. That earned him a grateful nod from Yang.

"Right, I'll look." She brought up the tablet again and looked for a few seconds. "Okay, the Aeroblade. Cool name. It is a machine that looks like a bladeless sword. It uses the pressure from unsheathing and sheathing the handle to create a pressurized air blade to cut from a distance… I would so like to be able to do that with my sweetheart." Ruby said whimsically.

That got a few eyerolls but smiles since she wasn't thinking about the prior man's death.

"**Sorry I'm late for our love date but their fucking artillery has me." Ren said in annoyance through his comms. "Don't miss me too much, though." He sped off into the air at Mach speed before stopping in midair and coming back down at the same speed in front of a Spartan. He flash drew his Aeroblade and the Spartan was diced by several compressed air blades.**

"That tablet wasn't lying…" Blake said in unadulterated shock.

Phoenix gave a deadpanned to the Faunus. "Why would I make that up?"

**He blurred forward again to kick an average soldier at high speeds. He blurred back to land on top of another Spartan to slam him into the ground. He blurred off again to stop in front of a Vorpal for a vertical thrust kick to send him into the air. He then blurred back into the air and drew his blade multiple times to dice up the three soldiers he had incapacitated. He landed than blurred towards more soldiers. He kept up his speed and continually drew his blade, tearing apart every soldier before they knew what hit them. A dozen were dead in only a few seconds.**

**A soldier by the artillery cannon saw this, "Keep firing! Don't let him get any closer!" With that, a literal battalion of soldiers, Vorpals and Spartans charged towards the supersonic cyborg.**

"**Still roaming around?" Ren asked as he stopped. "Alright then. Bring it on, bitches!" The soldiers were either firing everything they had at him or were desperately trying to close the distance between them. Ren raised both arms over his head before taking the blade in hand and dropping back into his sword stance. With that, everything but him turned to black and white before stopping altogether.**

"Wait, did he just overcharge his weapon?" Weiss asked.

The Writer nodded, "Yes. Doing so creates a time-fluctuation for a single second and lets him deal multiple attacks at an astonishing speed."

"Come on…" Ruby whined. Speed was supposed to be her thing. Yang gently rubbed her head but it did little to fix the reaper's bruised pride.

**Ren quickly drew and sheathed his blade until every soldier was marked by two blades each. He then stopped and placed the tip of the blade back into the sheathe before stopping for a second. That is when he slammed the blade back into the sheathe. Restoring color and decimating all the soldiers.**

**He then blurred forward to dodge the artillery shell coming at him. He stopped then shot into the air to jump onto a Fenix then destroy it with his Aeroblade. He then shot off to another to kick off it and slash it apart with another compressed air blade. He then shot off again to get between two more to dispose of them as well. He angled towards the ground and shot off with a sonic boom. He kept blurring away to avoid gunfire as he kept slashing with his sword, dealing away with all the Fenix in the air space and the soldiers firing at him.**

**Back to the train station, Jaune was lifting up a soldier and had thrown him headfirst into a garbage can, where he was now stuck. **

That made the students laugh a bit, "I guess he got tired of using his guns." Pyrrha said with a grin.

Yang nodded, "Not worth the ammo if the more powerful soldiers aren't around."

**He then turned to punch another man coming with a bat. He then lifted them over his head and onto his knee, back first. He pushed him off. Another soldier charged him but he simply grabbed him and suplexed him into the ground.**

**Back to the city, the soldiers were quickly retreating as others were giving them covering fire. One soldier was shouting, "Fuck it! That guy took out an artillery cannon by himself! Run for it!"**

**Ren was just standing there, Aeroblade still in hand as blood just dripped from his armor. He spoke lowly, "Make peace with your God now…" He then looked up, clenching his free hand in front of his face while shouting, "Because I'm coming for your necks!"**

"Ren…" Nora said quietly. He slowly turned to her and she had the closest thing to puppy eyes that she could muster, "Please don't ever turn out like that. Okay?" He just sighed before nodding to his oldest friend as she beamed. The others giggled at how much he was tied around her finger.

**He ran forward and dealt with the soldiers using his Aeroblade. He then jumped forward and spun in the air while to continue to slash. It didn't take long for him to deal with them before jumping into the air and blurring off at Mach speed again. **

**Ironwood was still staring at the screens, "They actually managed to get through the last defense line…" He then smirked and nodded. "Excellent. Send them in." **

"What is he planning?" Ozpin asked out loud.

"I couldn't tell you, Oz. Not for the life of me." Ironwood told him, just as confused.

**Jaune was just sat on a bench in the empty train station. He had his right leg crossed over his left and his helmet was off and sitting on the bench to his right. He had his left arm behind the bench and the Joy-Colt was still in his hand. The most shocking thing was that he was smoking a cigarette.**

"Bleh!" Ruby gagged. "Why would he do that? Gross!"

"I agree!" Nora said. "Fearless Leader better not do that for real or I'm going to break his legs."

"Would make it difficult to kiss him." Pyrrha agreed quietly.

Yang heard her however, "Oh, already planning out your kiss, Pyrrha?" she said with a Cheshire grin.

Her cheeks flushed, "Like you aren't, as well?"

She shrugged, "Guilty."

**Ren took the seat next to him, his left leg drawn up to his chest so his foot would be on the bench. Aeroblade still in hand but resting on his left shoulder. His faceplate was gone but his lower face was still covered. But you could tell just by his eyes that he was not happy.**

"**You lost." Jaune said casually as he exhaled smoke.**

"**Yeah, yeah." Ren said in annoyance before flipping Jaune the bird. "Stick it where it fits."**

"Ren!?" Nora and Pyrrha shouted aghast by their teammate. That just caused him to groan again and for the rest of their friends to laugh at his misfortune.

"This one is nearly as good as the superhero you from the Flash world." Yang managed to get out from her chuckles.

**Jaune grinned, "What a sore loser." He then took another drag of his cigarette.**

"**Well, we just owned those assholes, if you want to make this one-on-one, just say so." Ren challenged.**

"**Whatever, I think we killed them all. Let's get out of here."**

"**Fair enough."**

**The train slowly pulled into the station and Jaune grinned with the cigarette still in his mouth. "And that's our ride."**

**That's when two flashes of light, one red and the other blue, crashed onto the front car of the train, destroying it. When the lights died down, two shadowed figures were standing on it. One had a red cross glowing on its face while the other had a more T-shaped glowing blue.**

"That can't be good." Qrow spoke up.

Raven rolled her eyes and spoke for the first time in the theater, "What was your first clue?" she asked her brother sarcastically.

"**Was…" Ren started. He stood up while taking his weapon off his shoulder. "I hope I offend you when I say your plan look like a pile of shit." **

**The figures jumped forward revealing that they were indeed their older armors. The old Omega was black and red with a face mask that had a red cross visor. While the old Xero was almost entirely black with dark blue accents and a blue T-shaped visor. "Just look at that!" Ren said in excitement. "Our own action figure." He then jabbed his elbow into his partners side, "We're fucking famous man!"**

"**So, that was the catch." Jaune said as he threw his cigarette away. He stood up as his free hand grabbed his helmet. "They needed recent battle data for those automatons. That explains the odd weapon unlocking system."**

"That's why they were betrayed?" Ruby asked stunned. "To create robot clones of them?"

"It seems that way…" Ironwood said in shock. "But why do it?"

"Control." Everyone turned to Phoenix. "Bolverk Squad was made out of skilled and powerful people. But that also made them dangerous. You can't control people so easily and what could anyone do if they went rogue?" Phoenix sighed sadly. "Your other thought that using this method would be less dangerous."

He looked them all over, "Fear of someone's power can lead others to do dangerous mistakes." His eyes went to Ozpin, who looked down sadly, then to Raven. She just glared at him before rolling her eyes and turning back to the screen.

**The Clone-Omega summoned its own Joy-Colt as the Clone-Xero was spinning its own Boomknives around it's fingers. The originals stood across from their doubles, Jaune already had his gun leveled at his while Ren was already in his stance with knives in hand. **

**Ren pulled his left knife up to his face, "I see… Isn't this thrilling?" he asked slightly excited.**

**Jaune grinned as he placed his helmet back on, "As a matter of fact, it is." He then raised his right hand and summoned a Ballistica. **

**Ren scrapped the two blades across each other, "Ready?"**

"**Heaven or Hell!" Jaune shouted as he leveled Ballistica at his opponent.**

"**Let's rock!" Ren shouted as his faceplate came from either side of his face to lock into place.**

"They have catchphrases!?" Nora asked in excitement. "We need catchphrases!"

**With that, Ren charged forward and started to get in a knife fight with his clone. Jaune's clone ran past them to deal with the original as that was happening. Neither one were able to land any hits until Ren shoved his clone backwards and it retaliated by charging at him. Sending the ninja back before he rolled backwards back to his feet as the clone chased him down. **

**Meanwhile, Jaune and his clone were in a power struggle. They each had grabbed the barrel of the other's revolver, so every shot was nowhere close to its intended target. Jaune eventually pulled away from it to fire at it but realized too late that he was out of ammo. **

"Damn!" Tai muttered under his breath.

"Yeah…" Qrow agreed. "That may not work out for him."

**The automaton had already known this and has dismissed its weapon. Jaune was a second late in dismissing his own and barely blocked the knee it tried to hit him with. Jaune did a backwards handstand before charging in with a right hook, landing it. He followed it up with a left hook and a kick to the chest, sending it back several feet. Jaune charged forward but the clone-Omega summoned its Terminator to its hand.**

**Ren and the clone-Xero were still in a heated knife fight but he luckily slashed it across the visor, leaving a deep cut that bled green. That gave him an opening to get in close for several slashes and stabs to it's chest and midsection. Spilling more green blood on the ground. **

"Go, Ren!" Nora cheered. "Kick your evil twin's butt!"

"That's still not me, Nora. And it's not exactly a twin." Ren corrected her. That got him a handful of popcorn thrown at his face.

**He finished it with a rising knee that sent it into the air and into the ground, destroying the concrete. But it just flipped back to its feet, ready to continue the melee. Ren just stared at it before making a show of raising his right Boomknife and flicking his wrist for a **_**new**_** blade to replace the missing one. It looked down just in time for the two blades that were stuck in its chest to explode, sending it flying backwards. **

**Ren just flicked his other wrist to reload his other knife before looking over to see how Jaune was doing. That was when he was entangled by three Bloodwires. He looked to see that his clone had dismissed his left Boomknife to free up his hand for the maneuver.**

Everyone froze. They remembered how much damage that specific weapon could do and that made them incredibly worried.

**With a burst of strength, Ren managed to get himself unwrapped before the clone could try to shred him. But he quickly had to duck under them being lashed at him again. He then pushed off the ground with his hands and feet to jump over another whipping. He got to his feet unevenly and that was when six Bloodwires wrapped around his knives. He tried to pull back but they were pulled from his grip.**

**The clone then jumped into the air and Ren tried to run underneath it. But it just wrapped him with its Bloodwires before flipping forward and slamming Ren into the concrete, breaking it. While on the ground, the two threw their Bloodwires and they wrapped around the other's hand. Ren used the tension from the wires to pull him towards the clone for a kick, sending him back and letting Ren land on his feet. And while the clone was still in the air, he swung him around with the wires to slam him into the wall behind them, causing a large crater in the concrete wall. That when the wires came undone and the two were standing across from each other again. **

**Jaune and his clone were now in a standoff with their shotguns now. The clone fired at his head but he ducked under the barrel as it shot. Jaune tried the same but the clone leant back enough for it to miss. It tried to shoot center mass but Jaune swung his body to the side. He then pointed his gun across his body to fire but the clone dropped onto its hands and knees to avoid it. From that position, it fired at Jaune's stomach. It impacted and sent Jaune back as his blood painted the floor.**

"Jaune!" the students screamed, with Yang and Pyrrha being the loudest. This was the first time either of the heroes had blood drawn from them and it was quite a bit.

**He didn't let that stop him, Jaune charged back towards the automaton. It aimed the shotgun at him but Jaune just kicked the barrel into the air. Jaune then unloaded his own buckshot into the same place on it, spilling just as much green blood.**

"Take that, murder machine!" Yang shouted as she pointed to the screen.

**He dismissed his shotgun and summoned Joy-Colt in his right hand. He pointed it into the air to have the spent bullets fall out. He pulled the necessary amount of ammo from his belt and loaded it into the gun before snapping the chamber back into place in one fluid motion. As soon as it was loaded, he held the gun at waist level and slammed the hammer of the revolver with his other hand, much like an old Western. **

**The clone took numerous shots before Jaune ran out of ammo. It charged forward and blasted Jaune off the station and into the far wall of the tracks. Jaune pulled himself free and onto the tracks farthest from the station. While the clone leapt down onto the other and dismissed its Terminator.**

**Jaune charged him but the clone managed to grab him before jumping into the air. Finishing the maneuver by slamming him down into the tracks. Jaune didn't take that laying down and kicked some of the debris into the clones face. With it stunned, Jaune grabbed it and jumped into the air before slamming it into the other set of tracks. **

**He then jumped backwards onto the other tracks as the clone-Omega stood up. Both summoned their own Armadillos and aimed them at their double. But both stopped when they saw headlights and the sound of a train whistle. Both jumped into the area between the two tracks to avoid the trains but got stuck in a power struggle with their weapons. When the trains were gone, Jaune was pushed back onto his tracks before the clone fired an explosive at him. Luckily, Jaune used his weapon to protect himself from it before firing his own explosive. But the clone just imitated its original to protect itself.**

"That metal is quite durable." Ironwood examined. "I would love for our ships to be outfitted with something similar."

"Can we focus on that when they aren't fighting evil robots based off them, Jimmy?" Qrow asked with a good deal of snark.

"Right, right." The General nodded, slightly embarrassed. "There are other priorities right now."

**Jaune closed the distance and hit the clone further down the tracks. He then jumped into the air and summoned a Ballistica into his other hand. He fired upon the clone from above but missed. He landed in front of it before slashing it across the face with the bayonet on the front of the gun. He then stabbed it in the gut with the same bayonet but the clone did the exact same thing. It lifted him into the air before firing another explosive, causing Jaune to go flying directly before another oncoming train. **

"Oh no… Jaune!" Pyrrha said in worry. His armor may be strong but could it take the force of that explosive? She really didn't want to find out. None of them did.

**Jaune luckily had enough time to push the explosive off himself and towards the top of the tunnel. He then slammed through the front of the train and into the first car, relatively unhurt. The pedestrians in it started to run to the rear cars to get to safety. He looked up to the roof when her heard the clone jump onto the roof of the car he was on. **

"If he didn't do that, a lot of innocent people would've died." Goodwitch spoke up.

"He's a soldier." Winter reiterated. "Our job is to protect people."

**Both him and his clone had both their Ballistica and were firing at each other. Jaune was running backwards while firing up through the roof but they were right behind the clone. The clone was running forward and firing down but his bullets were landing just behind his own target. **

**The screen then cut to Ren and his clone standing opposite to each other on another train. Both having Aeroblade in hand. **

"When did they get up there?" Weiss asked but no one had an answer. They turned to Phoenix who stared back before eventually shrugging. With no answer in sight, they went back to the screen.

**The two charged at each other at Mach speed and locked their blades. The clone managed to push him back and slash him with his Aeroblade, a splatter of his blood hitting the roof. Ren blurred towards it and kicked him back, allowing him to hit him with his own Aeroblade and spilling more green blood. **

"This is getting intense." Pyrrha spoke up.

"It could go either way…" Blake added.

**The clone copied him and did a Mach charge followed by a kick. It followed after and hit him into the air before slashing him again. Ren nearly fell off the train but managed to stab the end of the Aeroblade into the train roof. It tried to take advantage of that but Ren jumped back from the train before blasting towards the clone. He hit it back and slashed him again, sending it over the front of the train. But it grabbed the front of it.**

"So close." Nora hissed.

**Ren blurred forward to try to slash it again but it blurred past him at the same time. The two tried to blur past each other and slash but their blades kept deflecting off each other. Two, three, four, five times. Until Ren landed a thrust kick to its chin. He blurred back and forth of it, slashing into it six times. That was until it headbutt him away and then slashed at him six times of its own. That was when Ren launched at Mach speed over its head and behind him to get some room to breathe. **

**The clone-Omega busted through the roof and landed in front of Jaune. Both unload their clips before new ones were summoned and loaded into place. They then aimed at each other and fired.**

"Is he insane!" Weiss shouted in shock.

**For a while, the bullets were just deflecting off each other but eventually, some slipped through and started to hit both of them. When they were out of ammo, Jaune rolled backwards and back to his feet. Breathing heavily, he spoke up, "They outclass us because they stored data of our weapons…in that case… Xero! Your knife!"**

**Hearing that, Ren dismissed his Aeroblade before he reached over his left shoulder with his right hand to unsheathe it before flipping it into a reverse grip. It was a very long, purely blue knife with a serrated edge for a third of the blade. **

**The clone-Xero's visor zoomed onto the knife and a heads up display came up. Longinus Knife, Threat: Massive.**

"How is that knife such a big threat?" Yang asked. "Especially compared to the rest of their weapons."

"I'll see if there is anything on it." Ruby said as she looked through the tablet again. "The Longinus Knife. A highly corrosive, electromagnetic dagger that instantly numbs the victim at minimum contact…"

"That's bad but it doesn't seem too dangerous. Especially to a machine." Blake added.

"There's more." Ruby continued. "The main use, however, is… self-destruction…?"

"Wait… what?" Pyrrha asked in shock.

Ruby swallowed before slowly continuing. "Each dagger has a unique matching code with its users DNA, forcing his/her armor to explode to prevent capture." She slowly looked up to the screen wide eyed. Everyone else did as well, now realizing just how dangerous this strategy would be.

**With that, it drew its own Longinus Knife and the two started to have an even deadlier knife fight. At the same time, Jaune was having just as deadly knife fight with his own clone. They then devolved into a series of rapid slashes that just left flashes of red or blue in the air.**

Everyone was on the edge of their seats.

**The screen focused on Jaune before snapping to Ren. Then back to Jaune. Back to Ren. Jaune… **

"The suspense is killing me!" Yang shouted in annoyance.

**Ren eventually found the moment to get past his clone at Mach speed and stab it in the back with his knife. "Eat shit and die." He told it. That's when a giant light erupted from the screen before turning it black.**

"You did it!" Nora shouted as she stood up. She then looked around. "He did do it, right? Right?"

**When it came back to life, the part of the city they were in was nothing more than ruins, debris, and smoke. Sirens were blaring and that was the only sound in the entire area.**

"That one knife caused all of that?" Ozpin asked, just floored by the amount of destruction.

"No." Phoenix corrected. "Jaune and Ren got their clones at roughly the same time. So it was two explosions."

"But all of that for two sets of armor?" Tai asked, just stunned still by the destruction and probably death.

"You saw how powerful those armors and weapons are. I don't want to imagine them being in unsavory hands." Phoenix pointed out. "This way, the only thing left is ash. Nothing to recover and possibly recreate."

**Ren was laying on the ground before he slowly pulled himself onto his hands and knees. Jaune walked up next to him, "Don't relax just yet, the worse is yet to come." He got up and looked into the air where Jaune was looking. **

**Floating there was none other than Penny but different from how they knew her. She was wearing black heels with fishnet mesh stocking. A black skirt with a thick brown belt were on her waist while a black leather corset covered her top and most of her more developed chest. The top of them only being obscured by more fishnet mesh that went to her neck. The same mesh went down her arms to a pair of black fingerless gloves. Her hair was wild and went down to her waist. A pair of sunglasses with green, oval lenses sat on the top of her head. She had a sadistic smirk on her lips and a look that screamed danger in her eyes. On her nose were another pair of sunglasses, these with rectangular yellow lenses. **

"Whoa…" Yang stated. "Did she hit puberty or what?" Honestly stunned from the difference.

Ironwood and Winter were also stunned. Questioning how and why she looked like that. Both of them knew Pietro and they couldn't imagine him making such… alterations to his daughter.

"**My, my, you actually made it this far! I'm so proud of you boys!" she told them. She landed in front of them with a burst of green energy. **

"**I suppose you won't let us through?" Jaune asked as he pointed Joy-Colt at her. Ren was right beside him with two APSs.**

**She giggled before her eyes started to glow green and green energy rose from her hand like a fire. "What tipped you off, Sherlock?"**

**There was a brief pause before Ren shouted, "Your head is mine!" He leapt forward and the screen went black.**

"What happened?" Ruby asked. It looked like things were going to ramp up even further.

Phoenix took a look at the screen and held his hand out to it. "Looks like that world put some strain on the screen. Give me a few minutes to adjust some things on the other side and we should be good." He waved his hand to create and orange fire doorway before walking through. The rest just sat there waiting for the adjustments to be done and their host to return.

* * *

**A/N- Here it is! Holy crap... this took a while! Without the reactions, this chapter was 11k words. May have bitten off a bit more than I was bargaining for but I have two more parts to do so I'm sticking to it. Next chapter will be XM 4 part1 and 2. Hopefully I'll come out sooner than this one.**

**On another note: I'm going to explain what the different colors of Phoenix's flames are for those that are curious. At least the ones so far.  
Orange- Represents Space and deals with teleportation, locally and Multiversally  
Green- Represents Time. Can slow, accelerate, pause, ect. Is what is keeping the viewers world in stasis  
Indigo- Represents Mind. As explained can give information, create illusions, put people to sleep.  
Purple- Represents Form and deals with transmutation of matter**

**With that done, I hope you all enjoyed and will be waiting for the next part of this story. I hope to see you all in the next update!**


	13. Continuing the Madness

**Source Material: Xionic Madness 4 part 1 & part 2**

* * *

Only a few minutes had passed since Phoenix had gone 'into' the screen. No one knew just how long it would take to adjust a movie screen that allowed people to view other worlds in the Multiverse, so they just waited patiently while he did so. However long it would take.

In the front row, Yang kept looking over her shoulder, past her dad and uncle to her birthmother sitting in the back row. She currently sat with her arms crossed and her eyes closed, so she didn't notice her daughter staring. Yang eventually turned away and looked down with a sigh. Ruby saw how down her older sister was and gently took her hand into her own. Yang gave a brief squeeze but that was really it.

The rest of their group of friends were just looking at her, not entirely sure on what to say or do. Until Nora decided to ask with all the subtleness of a wrecking ball through a wall. "So… that's your mom?" Yang flinched while everyone else just turned to her with looks of pure shock or disapproval. "What?" she asked. "We are all curious and no one else was going to say anything."

"Nora…" Ren sighed as he ran a hand down his face.

"You could've asked with a bit more tact." Weiss said with a tone of disapproval.

Yang sighed. "Well, guess there's no point in hiding it." She looked up at her friends, "Yeah… that's my birthmother. Raven Branwen." Blake reached over and gently squeezed her partner's shoulder. Being the only one besides Ruby to know about this prior. "I didn't tell you guys about this because it was really personal… and if I'm being honest, there isn't much to share."

"What do you mean, Yang?" Pyrrha asked with as much care as she could muster.

She shrugged, "She left when I was really young. I don't remember anything about her. She just left and I was raised by Ruby's mother, Summer. But after she…" she cleared her throat, "After she was gone… I just became obsessed with finding out anything about my mother. And after so many years, I have just as little as when I started. Only thing I did get was a couple pictures of what she looked like."

By this point she was shaking a bit and Ruby hugged her and Blake slide her arm around her shoulders. Seeing Yang, the epitome of confidence and strength, looking so fragile right now was a surreal experience. "Well, she's here now." Blake said quietly. "You can ask her all those questions now."

"That's the other problem." She started. "I've had so many questions over the years but right now, I can't think of any but one. It's the most important one. But now that I finally have the chance, I'm terrified to get the answer."

"What is that?" Weiss asked as she scooted closer to her team.

There was a silence before finally, "Why she left?"

They all understood now and their hearts ached for their friend. Blake spoke up, "Well, you don't have to do it now. We're all going to be here for a while. So, you have time to better prepare yourself."

"And if her answer is not what you want to hear, we'll be here to help you through it." Weiss stated with icy determination.

Ruby nodded into her sisters shoulder, "Remember, _we_ love you, Yang."

That got a watery chuckle form her. "Thanks guys." She looked over to her sister team. "All of you." The three nodded easily enough with smiles.

In the row behind them, Qrow and Tai had witnessed this all unfold. Qrow noticed Tai fist clenching and knew what was going to happen. He stood up and placed his hand on his brother-in-law's shoulder. "I'm going to talk to her. You try to cool off."

As he started to walk in front of Tai, the blond man spoke up, "Think that's a good idea?"

Qrow looked down and shrugged, "Better me than you right now, Tai." The two just looked at each other and Tai eventually sighed and nodded. With that Qrow made his way towards his sister, hands in his pockets.

Raven didn't open her eyes but when he was close enough, she spoke up, "What do you want, Qrow?"

"What? A guy can't come over to talk to his sister?" he smirked. Her eyes opened and she leveled him with a glare. He just rolled his eyes and walked over to lean on the wall to her right. "You showing back up, and _here_ of all places, it's got people talking." He motioned over to Ozpin, Goodwitch, Ironwood and Winter all in hushed conversation.

She scoffed and rolled his eyes, "Well, I didn't exactly choose to be here. Blame that… Phoenix. Not me."

"Hey, he's a bit off but that guy has treated us all well enough. And as far as I've seen, he has a reason for bringing us all here." Qrow explained.

"Really? Like what?" she asked, with no real interest.

"For one, he got Jimmy to pull his head out of his ass." Raven gave her brother a skeptical look. "Yeah, I know. I thought the same but it's true. He's opening up about a few ideas he's had planned along with a few projects he's had in secret. He's asking for input and listening." Raven looked back over to the group, her eyes narrowing. "Phoenix has something cooking and my guess it involves all of us."

"Please, I left this a long time ago." She scoffed.

"Yeah, I know. You think this whole war is meaningless and you just want to avoid it all with your merry band of bandits." Qrow said with heavy sarcasm. "You know, I'd believe that, if you didn't adopt the Spring Maiden into your tribe."

She turned to him so fast, he was surprised she didn't get whiplash, "How'd you learn about that?"

"Please, Raven. I've been keeping an eye out for Ozpin. I've known for a while." Her eyes went back to Ozpin, "Oz, doesn't know. Although, we did see a universe earlier that had you as the Spring Maiden, so he may be a bit curious if it has any actual relevance to our world. Not like you'd ever want to be the Maiden." He laughed at that and she turned back to him. "He's more focused on another Maiden right now anyway."

"You mean the Fall Maiden?" she asked with a smirk. It widened at Qrow's flabbergasted expression. "You're not the only one that tends to keep tabs. So, why haven't you told him."

He sighed and took out his flask. He took a sip, much smaller than he usually took from the dwindling supply. "Honestly, a part of me was hoping you'd come back. Either on your own or through me talking some sense into you. No matter how we feel about each other… we're family. All there really is to it."

"We choose our family, when our blood family fails us." Raven hissed.

Qrow just shook his head and put his flask back. "Yeah, guess you have a point." He got off the wall and was about to walk away before he looked back to her. "With you back, there will be questions for you now."

"I can handle Oz and his circle just fine." She said confidently.

Qrow started to walk away. "That's not who I was talking about." As he walked away, Raven's eyes landed on Tai before being drawn to Yang. She just looked at her until Qrow sat down in his seat again, cutting off her view. Raven shook her head before looking away.

Phoenix walked out of the flaming gateway not long after that. He was dusting off what looked to be dust or ash off his hoodie. "Well, that takes care of that. Sorry for the delay." He started to walk to his standalone chair. "I mild… inconsistency had popped up and it threw the screen off but its fixed now."

"Inconsistency?" Ozpin asked.

"Sometimes a universe can get thrown off slightly because of ripple effects in the Multiverse. Those inside it are unaffected and aren't hurt but it can make it difficult to observe it from the outside." He then waved them off slightly, "But enough of the Multiversal hiccups. When we start again, it'll be just before Ren went to attack Penny. Just so it doesn't confuse you too much." With that, he sat down and the screen came to life again.

**Jaune and Ren were standing across from Penny. They each had the damage on their armors from their fights with their duplicates. Ren had his face plate open to openly glare at his old teammate. Jaune's face was still covered but just by the way he was breathing, you could tell he was angry.**

**Penny had her hands on her hips and was just looking over her sunglasses with a smirk on her lips. "Sheesh, boys, I let you be for a few hours and look what happens, you destroy half a city. Did you really have to blow up those dolls with the Longinus Knives?" As she motioned with her left hand.**

"Those two armors self-destructing took out half a city?" Goodwitch asked appalled.

"We saw the destruction but to get the scale of how far it reached…" Ozpin said sadly. So many innocent lives snuffed out and they had no idea why or how. Just because one man in power could not bring himself to trust people.

Ironwood was effected very similar. Considering that it was his alternate self that had put all of this into motion, it weighed heavy on him.

"**Cynical bitch." Ren replied evenly as his faceplate snapped back over his face.**

"**Oh come on!" Penny said mockingly. "Are you still mad about that? Just let it go! You're still alive and that's what matters in the long run, right?"**

"This Penny's attitude needs a lot of adjusting." Winter said as she narrowed her eyes at the android on screen.

"She's nothing like the Penny I know." Ruby said sadly. Penny was weird but considering on what she was and her circumstances, you couldn't blame her. But she was always nice to everyone and just had such a bright outlook on life. Besides, having someone more quirky than her was a nice change of pace.

**At her words, Jaune's right fist tightened nearly painfully before he asked a single question, "Why did you do it?" His voice calm but holding undertones of anger and betrayal.**

That caused all of RWBY and the rest of JNPR to flinch. It took a lot to get Jaune to be truly angry at someone and it looked like this Jaune had just reached that point. But then again, he'd probably be similar if anyone on his team did what Penny had then the gall to joke about it to his face.

**She held out her right and as she spoke, "Orders… And that's all there is to it, my dear boys." Her smirk quickly turned to a scowl, "At least… That's what the old man would want me to say but…" She held her hands out to the side. "Truthfully, I despise all of you humans and your puny ideals." **

**She vanished in a flash of light and the two went on high alert. They spun and saw her appear on a larger piece of ruined building. "I was a wonder of science. You gave me life… For the sole purpose of taking others away. My core is even designed to recharge every time I kill somebody."**

**She vanished and reappear between them, floating. She placed her right hand on Jaune's chest while her left settled on top of Ren's head. "So hey…" She leant down to speak into Ren's ear, "I might as well kill everyone and live forever!" She leant back to speak to Omega, "Don't you think?"**

Everyone was quiet. Trying to come to terms with the fact that one girl, someone that was the students' peer, had just admitted her goal was to commit global genocide… it was a heavy thing to digest. Much more so for Winter and Ironwood. They knew the cheery android personally and hearing that of all things coming from her mouth was near soul shattering. Their Penny wanted to protect people. But this one just wanted death and destruction.

**Back on the airship above, Ironwood was still observing the situation on his screen. His left finger tapping in impatience, "P.E.N.N.Y., cut the chatter, dispose of them already! Everyone has been evacuated."**

**Ren swung backward with his right hand, trying to back hand her but she vanished again. They turned back to see her back in her original spot, "Kill everybody?" Ren asked before pointing up to the airship. "What about that asshole whose orders you are following? You think he won't destroy you once you are of no use for him?"**

**Penny raised her left hand and a ball of green energy manifested in it. "Oh? Him?" she asked as she looked over her shoulder. She clenched the ball in her fist, causing it to glow the same color, before she spun and released a massive green energy blast towards the ship. **

"**Sonova…!" Was all Ironwood was able to get out before the ship was hit. It fell from the sky before crashing into the ground.**

**Penny turned back around to her old teammates, "What about him?" she asked with a sadistic grin.**

"She… She just killed you, Sir." Winter said in shock.

Ironwood nodded gravelly, "Yes, she did. Which means that the only ones that can have any chance of stopping her are Mr. Arc and Mr. Ren."

"And if they can't?" Qrow asked but knew the answer but trying to have some hope for the alternate world.

Ironwood just shook his head, "Then no one will survive."

**Ren slowly brought his hand up to his head to run it through his hair, "Well… fuck! She just took out that massive shuttle in less than five seconds…"**

**Jaune finally spoke again, "We have to be extremely cautious with her." He turned to Ren, "Last time she wasn't trying to kill us but now is a different story." He finished as he turned back to the android.**

**Ren held up his right hand, "Yeah… Four or five hits from her and we can kiss our armors goodbye, I suppose?"**

**Jaune was adjusting his left gauntlet as her heard this, he then held up his index, middle and thumb, "Three hits… If Lady Luck is on our side." He corrected.**

"Three?" Yang asked out loud.

"An entire army could barely land a scratch but only a few hits from Penny can do that?" Weiss asked in disbelief. "How can she be that powerful?"

**Penny interrupted them by saying, "Come on, boys! As much as I enjoy chit chatting with you two, I have a busy schedule." **

**Ren placed one hand on his chin in faux thinking pose, "Well, the little bitch is needy. Any plans?"**

**Jaune brought his own hand to his chin as he hummed in thought. He pointed to Ren, "Engage her in close quarters combat." He then pointed his thumb to himself, "I'll cover you."**

"That's his strategy going forward?" Blake asked. Stunned by the lackluster plan Jaune had devised.

Goodwitch soon spoke up, "Simple plans can be more useful than you'd think, Miss Belladonna."

Qrow nodded, "Less can go wrong and if it does, you can adjust it on the fly."

**Ren was unimpressed, "Wait… that's it? That's…" He was interrupted when Jaune summoned a green/yellow sniper rifle to his left hand. Ren pointed to it. "Oh cool rifle! Where did you get it from?"**

"Oh, what is that?!" Ruby shouted in excitement. She then quickly started to scan through the tablet she had received to find out more information on the sniper on screen. "Found it! Grudge. A sniper rifle that fires rounds faster with less recoil. Even has a Full Auto function! Built in eight round magazine. And fires .80 Caliber Plasma rounds at thirty rounds per minute. And a maximum range of six _thousand_ meters!"

"Ruby!" Yang said trying to get her attention. "Ruby, breathe."

The reaper ignored her sister as she continued onto the rest of the information. She let out a huge gasp. "How?! The bullets have built in mechanisms that allow them to ricochet in thin air up to five times! Used to bypass blockades or even hit multiple targets with a single shot!" She looked up to Phoenix with wide eyes. "I need this." She said simply.

That caused him to laugh, "Sorry, Ruby. But no."

"But why?!" she asked with her puppy eyes.

He just smirked, "Against the rules we Writers need to follow. Besides, I believe you'd prefer trying to figure out how to do this and build it yourself, no?" With that, a new fire burned in Ruby's eyes and everyone who knew her were worried on what she would come up with now.

**Jaune rested Grudge on his shoulder as he summoned a clip into his other hand. He loaded it before lowering his arm, speaking to Ren the entire time. "I downloaded new weapons' schematics from the server just before she destroyed the plane. I hosted them on a nearby satellite so we can use them."**

**Penny crossed her arms in front of herself before throwing them to the sides, green electricity crackling around her, "Alright! Let's begin, I'll let you make the first move." She said rather condescendingly. **

"She's confident." Tai stated.

"Seeing that brief display of power, I think she has every right to be." Raven answered her ex-husband. She looked at him when she only received silence. He just seemed to be ignoring her and she felt the slightest twinge of pain in her chest but she quickly looked to the screen to try to forget about it.

"**Well, shit just got real…" Ren said as he lowered himself into his sprinting stance. "Ready?"**

"Here it comes!" Nora said excitedly, just waiting to hear the catchphrases again.

**Jaune leveled his rifle at Penny, "Heaven or Hell!"**

"**Let's ro- uff!" Ren was interrupted as he was hit by a green energy wave and blasted backwards. Jaune spun around to see him being buried in the debris of another destroyed building at the end of a smoking furrow. **

"No!" Nora shouted. "She interrupted the catchphrases!"

"Uh, Nora?" Pyrrha started. "She just blasted Ren."

"I know!" she replied. "That's two strikes! Three and I break her legs!"

**Penny brought her other hand to her lips as she kept her right hand extended. "Whoopsie-Daisy."**

**Ren blasted the debris off the top of him as he clenched his fist, "You bitch!" He jumped out of the rubble and raced forward. **

"Got get her, Ren!" Nora agreed with him.

**Ren ran at her before jumping into the air. As he was doing that, he reached behind to pull out his Boomknives. He tried to impale her in the chest but Penny grabbed his hands as he came down, so the two were only pushed several feet backwards. She threw him off and fired three more blasts in rapid succession. Ren flipped backwards, avoiding them all before landing on the ground. As he slid back, he dug his blades into the ground to slow himself down. **

**Ren ran at her and started to deliver a series of rapid slashes but Penny was able to deflect them all with her hands as they were coated in a black energy with a green outline to them. The entire time, she was forced to keep backtracking. She eventually stopped moving but kept deflecting Ren's attacks. She pulled back her left hand and had energy rising from it with a sadistic smile.**

"She's good." Goodwitch spoke up. "Very good."

Ozpin nodded in agreeance, "I agree." He then turned to Ironwood, "Is your version of her this skilled?"

Ironwood shrugged, "Penny is highly skilled yes and she does have ways of using energy as attacks. But nowhere close to this mastery."

He grinned, "It's good that you've found such a skilled Huntress, James. I hope you groom her well." Ironwood grinned but felt guilty. He still hadn't told Oz about what Penny _really_ was. But he wanted to do so in a more private environment. He was also concerned on how he would take the news.

**The screen pulled back enough to see that Jaune was in the air and coming down feet first towards Penny, with his rifle above his head. Both of his feet hit her chest, sending her into the ground. He jumped off her and spun around to face her. He landed on his stomach in a prone position, he slid on the ground for a couple of seconds but he was already looking down the scope of his rifle. The moment he stopped, he fired two shots at her.**

Ruby's eyes were shining, "That was so cool! He is just as amazing sniper as he is gunslinger!"

Yang grinned, "Down, Ruby. Remember, alternate version and he is as old as our dad. Don't think you can date him."

She turned to her sister, "Yang! I didn't mean it like that! It was just a cool move."

Yang shrugged, "You don't have to explain anything to me, Rubes. Honestly, I always thought if you started crushing on a boy, it would be Jaune."

"Huh?" Ruby asked just stunned.

"I always thought the same." Weiss added.

"Same here." Blake added.

"What?!" Ruby asked stunned a blush crept onto her cheeks. "No! He's just my best boy friend!"

"A _boy _friend or a _boyfriend_?" Yang questioned with the mother of all smirks on her lips.

Her blush deepened and she turned away from her sister. 'Dumb Yang, always trying to make things weird.' She thought to herself. 'Just because Jaune is nice, caring, sweet, doesn't treat me like a kid, always there for me and the best guy I know, does _not _mean I like him like that.' Luckily, everybody left her alone as Ruby was going through her denial.

**Penny was already up on her feet and managed to catch each shot in one of her hands before throwing them over her head. A red chain then wrapped around her neck and pulled her off her feet. Ren used it to then pull her into the ground. When she bounced off the ground, Ren dismissed the chain and closed the distance with a thrust kick followed by punch and a roundhouse kick. He finished the combo with a reverse roundhouse and sent her backwards.**

**As she was flying back, he used Blur to close the distance. He hit her with two more punches before punching her into the air with an uppercut. She fell to the ground and was using her hands to force herself back onto her feet. Ren jumped into the air and summoned a new weapons to his hands. It was a twin bladed sword with both the blades facing forward. The blades were grey with three red attachments on the back of each blade. **

"That is certainly an interesting weapon." Ozpin said observing it.

"I'll see what it can do!" Ruby cheerfully volunteering. She looked before she hummed, "This is weird. It's called the Light Arrow."

"Light Arrow?" Goodwitch asked.

Ruby nodded, "Yeah. It's just a twin bladed sword… Wait there's another page." She flipped to it and started to read. "Oh! Okay, this is why. It features a small but powerful electrical capacitor which lets it create arrow-like projectiles out of thin air."

"So, it's also a bow then." Ren said as he observed the screen. "My father used a bow…" he said quietly, mostly to himself. Nora heard though and gently squeezed his hand.

**With the Light Arrow in hand, he raised it above his head to bring down a massive slash from above. Ren shattered the pavement underneath him but Penny was holding the blade so it couldn't impact her head. Seeing this, he jumped into the air and that gave Jaune the chance to fire to bullets into her stomach. She leant forward in pain and Ren came back down with his blade, cutting her across the chest.**

**She collapsed to her knees and started coughing, "Damn it… It wasn't supposed to end this way…" She then fell down to the ground.**

"They did it?" Qrow asked in confusion.

"Seems that way." Tai answered.

Raven scoffed, "Pathetic."

**At that time, Ren's Light Arrow folded so both blade were at a ninety degree angle from the handle and parallel to each other. He ran his other hand through his hair, "Well, now that was disappointing."**

**Jaune had an idea of what happened, "Looks like she didn't consider us a threat and let her guard down…" He then unloaded his magazine, letting the magazine reload itself before loading it again. "What a shame."**

"That is a lesson for all of you." Goodwitch spoke up. "It does not matter how much stronger or skilled you are, never underestimate your opponent. Understand?"

"Yes, Professor Goodwitch." All the students said in unison.

**Ren attached his weapon to his back, so it ran along the sheathe that once held his Longinus Knife. "Yeah but wasn't she supposed to be the last boss of something? Man this is Halo 2 all over again!" he finished in annoyance.**

**Jaune dismissed his rifle before turning to him, "What's that?"**

"**It's… Ah… Never mind." He answered, not wanting to explain anything. As that was happening, a small squad of soldiers were hiding behind some ruins not far from them. They just observed them as the two talked.**

"There are still soldiers there?" Winter asked stunned.

"They must've stayed behind while everyone else was evacuated." The General surmised. "But why would they do that if Penny was being sent in?"

"**Let's move." Jaune commanded.**

"**Yeah, yeah." Ren answered.**

**The screen then focused on the leader of the group, Cardin. He had a conflicted look on his face and unsure on what to do next. **

"Cardin's there?" Pyrrha asked.

"Probably going to screw everything up." Blake said in a tone that easily showed how she felt about him.

**As the two cyborgs were walking away, Ren came to a stop as Jaune kept continuing. He just stood there for a few seconds.**

"Why are you stopping?" Nora questioned her Ren but he didn't have an answer.

**He then turned around and kicked Penny in the face, sending her off her feet. She then disappeared in a white energy. **

"What?!" All the students and a good chunk of the adults shouted in shock.

**Ren turned around and was just watching where they had come from. Jaune eventually stopped and just looked over his shoulder, "I'd advise against such childish pranks, you're just wasting energy."**

**The first Penny they left on the ground vanished in the same energy and another Penny appeared several feet behind there, floating in the air and smirking. She giggled and looked at her nails, "You really think this is a real fight, don't you? I'm just having some fun before I take both of you out."**

**In that instance, Jaune summoned Terminator to his right hand. He spun it around his fingers, reloading it, before resting it on his shoulder. Ren meanwhile decided to be the vocal one. "Take out the both of us? You and what army?"**

"Oh no…" Yang said as she covered eyes with her hand before running it down her face. "You never ask that. It never works out for anyone who asks."

"**Army? Silly boys…" She then slammed herself onto the ground, breaking it further. Green electricity started to course around her before she threw her hands to the side, releasing green energy around her. It destroyed all the debris around her as massive columns of stone started to be pulled from the ground. "I need no army!"**

"See?" Yang said in a deadpanned.

"Yeah… That is definitely intimidating." Weiss agreed. "I wonder how they are going to deal with it?"

"Jaune and Ren have this." Ruby said with certainty. "They have to."

**Calmly, Jaune started to speak again. "Well, it's on." He summoned one Ballistica to his left hand. "She may be more powerful than both of us combined but…"**

**Ren summoned two APSs before the blades fully extended. "She's only one, she's outnumbered!" Ren finished the thought before he charged forward again. He dodged left then right to avoid two green energy blasts from Penny. He then had to flip to the left to dodge a third. He then used Blur to vanish as the fourth was coming right where he was.**

**Penny had both her hands extended as she kept firing her energy blasts. She then teleported away just as Ren reached her. She flipped to land on his feet after his lunge and turned to see where she was. She teleported behind him and threw her hands down at where he was standing but Ren blurred behind her to avoid the green explosion that he would've been caught in. With him now behind her, he went for two slashes with his blades, akin to a pincer attack. But she teleported away again.**

**He blurred away and was lucky enough to get behind her as she reappeared and kicked her in the back, sending her off balance. He closed the distance again with Blur and started to slash at her with his swords but she kept deflecting them with her black energy just as her double had done earlier. But she cut that short by kicking him in the chest and sending him flying back, leaving his swords behind. One impaled itself into eth ground but the other just clattered beside it. **

"She's not going to make the same mistake twice." Ozpin observed.

"Penny has always learned rather quickly from mistake she makes." Winter supplied.

**Ren landed on his hands and was slowing down in a handstand like position but Penny lunged towards him. Luckily, she was intercepted when Jaune lunge and tackled her to the ground. He pulled back his right arm and tried to punch her with Ballistica but she teleported away so the weapon met pavement. She appeared floating in the air a few feet in front of him and he didn't hesitate to fire at her with his shotgun. But the buckshot was blocked by a black, translucent sphere of energy around her. **

"What was that?" Ruby asked.

"That's her Necrotic Shield." Phoenix spoke up. "It's a near indestructible forcefield that acts as a last line of defense for Penny. She can use it to block attacks that she doesn't want to deal with physically. But she has to consciously use it."

"How are they going to deal with that?" Nora asked the Writer but he just motioned to the screen as an answer.

**She then flew over him as he was firing at her with Ballistica. But she just used the same black energy around her hands to stop them from reaching her. She got onto his other side but stayed floating. Jaune dismissed both his weapon to summon Armadillo. As he leveled it at her, she hesitated for a second before getting inti a defensive stance.**

"Why did she hesitate?" Winter asked.

"The Armadillo is actually a weapon used by their late member: Askad. Jaune stole it when they escaped the facility. She wasn't expecting it and caught her off guard." Phoenix elaborated.

**He fired but the explosive hit her Necrotic Shield. As soon as the field was gone, she raised her hands and fired a blast at him. He ducked under it and charged to close the distance. He jumped up to slash her with an upwards slash from the front bayonet. It hit her but didn't do very much.**

**Not letting that disturb him, he aimed down and fired again. This time she just teleported away. Jaune landed on the ground and reloaded his gun. He looked up to see her high in the air and coming down fast with a ball of energy three times her size above her head. **

"She isn't taking any chances." Blake said as her eyes widened at the size of the energy attack.

"Get out of there, Jaune!" Yang shouted to the screen. That made her mother roll her eyes, not that anyone noticed or cared.

**Jaune aimed up at her but after he realized it wasn't worth the risk, jumped forward and away from there. Penny came down a second later and slammed the ball into the ground where Jaune was once standing. The explosion was large and the tremors it created had a number of half collapsed skyscrapers around them finally collapse fully. **

**Penny was still standing there and glaring at Jaune for getting away. Jaune pulled himself back to his feet, now with Ballistica in his left hand and Terminator in his right. He leveled his submachine gun at the android. She was so focused on Jaune she didn't notice a very familiar red chain wrap around her neck, again. **

**Ren once again pulled her back and threw her down a small hill to the ground. He then threw forward two Bloodwires that sailed right over Penny and wrapped around the hilts of his two APSs that were several feet away from her. He pulled them towards him just as Penny got to her feet and levitated. The swords were coming directly for her back but her Necrotic Shield came up again to destroy both of them. She then touched back down to the ground.**

"That shield is becoming areal nuisance." Weiss said in annoyance.

"Everything has a weakness." Pyrrha spoke up. "They just need to find it and exploit it."

**Ren reached back for his Light Arrow, "Tch, It's no good." He said annoyed as he fully extended his weapon.**

"**Never forget." Jaune stated as he dismissed his two weapons and summoned a new rocked launcher in front of him. **

"That one looks rather… average." Winter spoke up.

Ruby looked through her tablet, "Well, it is." she answered. "It's a normal Javelin rocket launcher. It's just been tweaked to be stronger. Nothing else really to it."

**At the same time, Ren put his hand alongside the other and pulled back like one would a bowstring. Yellow energy connected the tips of the two blades and they bent backwards as he pulled back the energy string. The more he pulled, the more energy started to condense into an arrow-like shape. He the fired it into the air to get a feel for the function of the weapon. "Her Necrotic Shield uses up her core's energy. So, before we can inflict any significant damage upon her, we will have to force her to either lower it or have her drain her energy resources."**

"So, it is a war of attrition." Ozpin observed as he took a pensive sip of his beverage. "First to give an inch will lose indefinitely." That made the students nervous, especially Yang, Pyrrha and Nora for very obvious reasons.

**As they were talking, Penny raised her right hand up and pointed her finger into the air. As she did that, a ruined building behind her started to rumble before it was pulled up from the ground. **

"Oh come on!" Ruby shouted. "How is that fair!?"

"She really is on another level." Ren swallowed.

**Ren placed his hand against the side of his head, "Great fucking Scott!"**

"**This is heavy." Jaune agreed with him. **

"**Alright, boys, let's see you deal with this one!" Penny shouted as she threw her hand forward and the building flew towards them. Jaune easily raised the Javelin and fired the rocket at it. It exploded and turned the building into falling debris. **

"They really did make that more powerful." The general stared in disbelief. "Those types of weapons never have that sort of payload."

"I want one!" Nora said in excitement.

"No!" shouted all the other students, except Ren, and Goodwitch.

**Ren charged forward, running through the debris like it was a simple rainstorm. He leapt into the air before he started to fire a salvo of energy arrows towards her. Penny crossed her arms and her Shield came up to defend her from the projectiles. **

**She threw her hands to the side and released green energy around her. She then stomped onto the ground and seven orbs of green energy rose from the ground. A second later, they each fired into a beam directly at the airborne ninja. Ren was diving towards her but backflipped dot avoid the beams. He landed on the ground in a crouch before blurring towards her again.**

**Meanwhile, Jaune was jumping off of pieces of debris until he was on top of another broken building. Once he was on top of it, he summoned Javelin back to his hands.**

"What is he planning?" Pyrrha asked out loud.

**Ren tried to cut Penny with his Light Arrow but she deflected it. She fired a beam at him but he side stepped to avoid it before closing the distance with his blade. She deflected him away from herself and he leapt into the air to try to bifurcate her. She leapt backwards but the closed the distance. She used her hand to throw his blade up and away from her. They jumped away and he fired another projectile towards her but it was just stopped by her Shield. They charged at each other again.**

"Neither are giving an inch." Qrow observed, impressed by what he was seeing.

"Go get her, Ren!" Nora shouted.

"Nora. Please, I'm right next to her." He told her as his ear was ringing.

**On top of the building, Jaune was aiming his rocket launcher at the two: Penny had managed to catch the blade and the two were now in a power struggle. "Xero!" Jaune shouted. Ren looked over his shoulder before turning back to her. He pulled back and Penny went forward without the resistance, he followed up with a stomp to send her into the ground. Jaune fired the rocket and Ren blurred away. As Penny stood back up, the rocket impacted and exploded.**

**Jaune dismissed his rocket launcher and jumped down from the building. As he landed, Ren blurred to his side. Both just stared at the smoke of the explosion. Penny flew up and out of the smoke not long after. She had a few scratched and scorch marks but was no less for wear.**

"Damn it." Yang spoke up. "That barely did anything."

"Maybe she activated her Shield at the last second?" Blake suggested.

**She smiled, "You two are pretty durable. I can see why the soldiers failed to kill you. But why not give them a second chance…" The clapped her hands together and left them there as she continued, "To drag you both down to Hell with them?!"**

"What is that supposed to mean?" Weiss questioned.

**The ground started to shift and soon a hand erupted from the ground. Soon, all the soldiers and average people who were killed were pulling themselves from the ground. Now as zombies with razor sharp teeth.**

"She can create zombies!?" Ruby asked.

"What can't she do!?" Yang threw her hands in the air.

"This is so unfair." Nora added.

**Some of them managed to speak in weak, raspy voices:**

"**You killed me… Bastards…"**

"**Revenge…" **

"**Kill them…"**

**A ways away, one of the soldiers from before, Russel, was looking through some binoculars. "Did she just bring up an army of zombies?" he questioned as he lowered his binoculars. "She sure is giving them one hell of a time."**

**He was then hit in the side by a backhand from another soldier, Sky. "Them? What about us? She killed Overseer Ironwood, there's nothing left for us here. What are we going to do?"**

**Cardin loaded his gun and stood up, "Let's move!" he commanded.**

"What're they planning?" Pyrrha questioned but was expecting the worst.

**The horde of zombies were on a full sprint towards them. Jaune was leant forward slightly and Ren was using his sword to lean on. "How are you doing?" Jaune asked.**

"**Well, tired as fuck to be honest." Ren answered as he raised his hand and started to count off his fingers. "Fighting an entire army, our own clones and her can be quite exhausting."**

**Jaune extended his hand a large pale green firearm with white accents appeared. It had a large silver, cylindrical component in the center. "Yeah…" he agreed. "Well, there's not much to be discussed then." He aimed and fired. A blast of cold energy flew and hit a zombie, freezing it solid. "If we die here then let's take down as many as we can before so."**

"Wow! What is that!?" Ruby shouted as she started to look.

Qrow chuckled, "Maybe they call it 'Ice Queen'. Would fit a certain someone I know." He looked over to Winter with a smirk.

Winter glared at him, "Don't you start with that, Qrow."

"You were close, Uncle Qrow." Ruby interrupted. The two turned to her in shock. "It's called the Artic Empress." That caused him to laugh while Winter turned away with huff. "Fires Super-Heated Ice missiles that freeze anything on contact. Five round magazine and twenty shots per minute." She was quite for a bit. "I wonder if we can do the same with Ice Dust?"

She turned to her partner but she elected to ignore her for now.

**Jaune lowered his weapon enough to pull a very familiar hilt to a knife. Only a single sharp piece of metal was left of the red blade. "Have your Longinus Knife ready, just in case." He said quietly.**

"That thing is functionable?" Weiss questioned.

Winter just narrowed her eyes, "Enough to serve one last purpose."

"They wouldn't resort to that." Ruby said before asking, "Right?"

"What would you prefer?" Winter started. "To be torn apart by those things, slowly and painfully, or to be gone in an instant?" She had a point but it was still an unsettling thought to have.

**Ren extended his left hand and a two handed sword with a very particular blade was summoned to it. The blade was small compared to the handle, about half as long as you'd think it should be and a fourth as wide. And on the back were what looked to be a mechanism similar to a railgun. He rested it on his shoulder, "Oh we won't die." He said simply.**

**He turned to Jaune as a dark blue and black clone of him appeared to his right, "After all, I'm going to be the one who cuts your head off your neck." He said jokingly as his clone motioned with his finger across his neck. It then fell away into a puddle of slime.**

"How did he do that?" Pyrrha asked.

"It was similar to Sun's Semblance." Blake added.

"Close." Phoenix spoke up, "That was his armor's Petrol Silhouette. It allows him to create a clone of himself for a very short time, about as long to land a strike. They are made from blood, dust, and other substance around. But they can't use any sort of weaponry."

**Jaune turned to him, "Roger that…" The way he said that made everyone picture him smirking under his helmet. He turned back to the undead, "Let's go!"**

**On the other side of the horde, Penny grinned as her eyes narrowed, "Come at me already, I'll reduce you both to ashes."**

**In an unknown location, the viewers saw a shadowy form with a yellow horizontal visor come to life. A robotic voice spoke, "Well… Looks like it can't be helped. Activating all systems."**

"Who or what is that?" Winter questioned.

"No idea." Qrow responded. "I'm more concerned about whether it is friend or foe."

Ironwood raised an eyebrow in confusion. The voice was distorted but sounded familiar. 'Is that Pietro?' he thought to himself.

**A zombie closed the distance between it and Jaune. The armored soldier just punched it with his free hand before shoving it back with the Artic Empress. He then fired to freeze it along with a second one closing the distance. He ran before jumping into the air and slamming the gun on top of the ice, shattering them.**

**He then dismissed the weapon to summon Joy to his hand and aim it at another zombie coming his way. He fired and killed it instantly. He spun to fire at the zombified Spartan behind him but it grabbed the barrel and forced it up, the shots flying into the air. Jaune quickly punched it twice in the chest and sent it back and onto the ground.**

"So it's not just the average soldiers and the civilians." Ironwood observed. "Even the more advanced soldiers have been turned."

"I doubt they can use their armor's functions or abilities though." Ozpin added. "Otherwise, it would be using its weaponry right now."

"I hope your right, Oz." Qrow added. "They don't need anything else complicating things."

**It got back up but Ren just ran it through with his new sword. He cut it in half and impale the sword into the ground. He blurred off to close the distance to another zombie. He hit it twice before using his Petrol Silhouette to knock it into the air. He used Blur to meet it in the air before using it again to smash through it and get back to the ground; the zombie now missing a head. **

**Green electricity ran across the ground before pulling massive walls of rock up that were as tall as skyscrapers. Creating a cliffside on either side of the two and cutting off their retreat. It stretched all the way to where Penny stood, where she had another building in the air.**

"Not again!" Nora shouted in dismay.

"This time she's taking more precautions." Ren added. "She made sure they couldn't get away and trying to use that rocket again in such an enclosed area will put them in just as much danger."

"The General was right." Pyrrha nodded. "She's learning from her mistakes. This is going to get tougher for them going forward." She added with a nervous tone to her voice.

**Seeing this, Ren pulled his sword from the ground as Jaune spun his revolver around his finger and dismissed it at the same time. That was when the building was sent down the alley Penny had create, making sure they couldn't get away. Ren took his sword in both hands but Jaune stopped him, "Hold it, you won't make it."**

"**Well, do you have a better plan?!" Ren asked as he impaled his sword back into the ground.**

"**Yeah." he said as he summoned both of his Ballistica. "But it will use up a lot of energy, so get ready!"**

**Ren placed his sword on his back, over his left shoulder, as he clenched his fist, "Fuck yeah!"**

**At that moment, the Ballistica started to condense until they were as compact as possible. That was when they attached to the back of his gloves, a barrel was located between each of his knuckles and there was a small light on the back of his hand. He then slammed his fists together, "Let's go!"**

"The weapon just transformed!?" Ruby shouted. She then started to look back over her notes on the weapon. "There's nothing here on it."

Phoenix snapped his fingers, "It may've gotten placed under its upgraded name. Check for Gauntlet."

She nodded and did that, "Here it is! An upgrade to Ballistica that no longer needs to be held to be fired and is fused with the user's gloves. It also now has the ability to compress the bullets in its magazine into a single pressurized explosion in the shape of a punch."

Yang whistled, "Damn. Now I want those weapons."

**Jaune stood in front of the building, unfazed. He slammed his open palms into the building and was starting to be pushed back, but only slightly. His enhanced strength was enough to bring the building to a stop. He was grunting as his feet started to slide back against the force of the building. **

"He's that strong!?" Yang asked stunned.

"In his armor." Phoenix added.

"I think he's stronger than you and Nora." Ruby said stunned as she stared at the screen.

**He pulled his right Gauntlet back and two streams of excess energy were released from two vents, a natural process when the bullets were being compressed. With a shout, he sent his fist forward, being propelled faster by the jets of energy. As his fist met the building, cracks ran over the entirety of the building before energy traveled through them and causing several explosions to go off. The building collapsed into debris in front of Jaune and he just raised his fist, clenching it to eject the spent clip of ammo.**

There was a silence at the display of sheer destructive capability. Before Yang spoke up, "Yeah. I really want those."

**He fell to his knees right afterwards, not expecting the energy drain taking so much out of him. He looked up just in time to see another zombie lunge towards him and he had no time to react. Luckily, Ren rushed in with Aeroblade back in his hand. The tip of the sheathe slammed into its face and sent it backwards. He then blurred away to meet up with it. He smacked it on the top of its head with the sheathe before jabbing it in the face again. A Silhouette appeared to knock it up into the air with a bicycle kick and Ren finished it with an air blade.**

**Ren was distracted by that so another zombie ran behind him and managed to get a bite on him, drawing blood. In response, another Silhouette formed and punched it backwards and he ended it with an air blade. Ren saw the rubble beside him start to shake and he looked to see a second building coming towards them. "Fuck! Talk about overkill!" he shouted.**

"Penny!" Ruby shouted. "Stop with the buildings!"

"It is seriously getting annoying." Blake answered with a deadpan.

"Ditto." Yang agreed.

"**I won't be able to stop the second one in time. Force you way through!" Jaune commanded as he clenched his left fist and the streams of energy erupted from his second Gauntlet. With that, Ren blurred away while Jaune leapt from his spot with all his strength. As Ren was nearing the building he drew his Aeroblade.**

**Inside the building, there was a lone zombie. It was sitting on the ground and chewing on its hand. That was until the exterior wall was blown in. Ren landed and that is when the building began to lean forward. He quickly jumped onto the debris that was sliding towards him before leaping off of it. **

"They are running through the building?" Goodwitch asked in confusion.

Tai shrugged, "What else can they do? They can't avoid it or destroy it. Only way left is through it."

**He landed in front of a zombified Spartan, so he had his Silhouette hit it with an uppercut and Ren hit it into the air with his Aeroblade. He turned to see another zombie come for him and he impaled it with the end of Aeroblade. It was still 'alive' and was trying to pull the weapon out of his chest but was not doing much. Ren cut the Spartan from before with an air blade before kicking the average zombie off his weapon.**

**He turned to it and started to draw his Aeroblade before sheathing it before an air blade would be released. He eventually dismissed it before wrapping it in his chain again, throwing it over his head and slamming it behind him. As it bounced, Ren kicked it before his Silhouette punch it into the wall. As it was stuck there, he drew his sword and charged towards his trapped prey. **

"This Mr. Ren likes to, what's the phrase?" Ozpin said as he stroked his chin. "Play with his food."

"Indeed." Goodwitch agreed. "He is nearly as chaotic as Miss Valkyrie."

**Jaune had crashed through the building and had crushed a zombie underneath his heavily armored feet. He looked around to see he was surrounded by three zombies and a Vorpal zombie. He looked around before he summoned Joy. He shot one in front of him as one behind him charged with a sword. He got it into a headlock before he shot the Vorpal. He shot the one he was holding before aiming at the last one and dealing with it as well. He then charged to crash through the next wall. **

**It transitioned back to Ren, who had just smashed through the wall after killing the zombie stuck in it. He kept running forward, smashing through another wall, and landing on another zombie. He dismissed his sword before summoning his Light Arrow before busting through the next wall. He kept running forward and through walls, shooting a few zombies in his path before cutting a few more with the actual blades. He used his Silhouette to deal with other zombies and smash another wall.**

**Jaune had a hold of a Spartan zombie and was holding him in front of him while he had Armadillo in his other hand. He was using the corpse to help protect himself as he smashed through more walls. He threw it into the next wall before he used Armadillo to protect himself from the sword of another zombie. He clenched his right fist, erupting two more jets before slamming it into the zombie. It was charred black before glowing white cracks erupted across it and exploded.**

"Oh." Yang said. "That's what it looks like when it's used on a person… Maybe I don't want it."

Raven scoffed, "That is what weapons were designed for: killing. If you don't understand that, I don't know how you made it so far."

Yang's temper got the better of her and she turned around to her birthmother, "You know, that would matter more if it wasn't coming from a woman who ran away to become the queen of a bunch of two-bit bandits."

There was a silence as the two women just stared the other down. No one was sure on what to say but Phoenix did. "That's enough." They turned to him as he gave them a neutral gaze. "You two have issues to work out and you can do so _after_ this world is over."

Yang eventually nodded, "Sorry." She said genuinely.

Phenix shook his head, "It's quite alright. Never said you were wrong. It's just not the time." He smirked and Yang smiled back. He then looked at Raven, who was giving him a death glare. His smirk just stretched.

**Penny scowled before holding her hands away from her chest. Two currents of green energy bounced between her palms before a ball of energy started to form. She grabbed it with her right hand, pulling back before throwing it forward as a massive beam. It hit the building and it exploded.**

**As the debris was falling, so were Jaune and Ren. Unharmed. Ren was in a full dive with his hands behind him, making him stream-like, as he summoned his sword. Jaune was falling feet first with his hands above his head with Armadillo still in his grasp. **

The students sighed and Ruby leant back in her seat, "I'm glad they made it out. This is getting so stressful."

**Zombies were still running towards them when Jaune landed on one of them. He fired three explosives at once that destroyed a small group in front of him. It rotated around his hand to reload right after. Another zombie ran in to try to get him with a sword but he blocked it with his gun before punching it away. Another came at him but he slapped its hand away before stabbing it with his bayonet. He raised it off the ground and obliterated it with his Gauntlet. There was another one just standing there so Jaune leveled his weapon at it. That was when he was stabbed from behind by another zombie, making it go wide. **

**The blade didn't get past the armor but Jaune turned to the zombie, a glare behind his visor. **

"Oh, that just pissed him off." Yang spoke up.

"This isn't going to end well." Pyrrha added as she winced slightly.

**Without looking, he stabbed the zombie he just missed at with his bayonet and left it there as he turned to the zombie that just stabbed him. He grabbed it by the throat and lifted it off the ground. As it thrashed around, he reached back and pulled the blade from his back and stabbed it in the crotch with it. He then kicked it in the chest, ripping the head and spinal from the zombie. He dropped it before retrieving his weapon and blowing up the zombie that was stabbed by it.**

That got a few laughs from Yang and Nora. Weiss looked at them, "Really?" she asked in a deadpan. She didn't notice Blake, Pyrrha and Ruby trying to suppress their own laughter.

**Ren was shooting the Light Arrow to vaporize a small group of zombies running towards him. Another group tried to sneak up behind him but he just blurred away while dismissing his weapon. Another rushed up behind him but he blurred again to slam into another zombie. He blurred again to punch a Spartan zombie in the face. He went into a combo with himself and his Silhouette before they both slammed it into the ground, killing it.**

**He bent backward to punch another one with two punches. Another charged him before he hit it with an elbow before using Blur to thrust kick a Spartan zombie right in front of him. That sent it flying. When he stopped moving, Ren blurred up into the air with his sword in hand. The tip started to glow red and a massive, glowing red blade erupted from the end. When he came down, his vertical slash went through a line of zombies.**

"Holy crap!" Yang shouted. "How did he do that?"

"Sorry!" Ruby said as she went through her tablet. "I was so distracted by everything; I didn't look up the weapon when he got it." She found it shortly after. "Here. The Red Fang. A two-handed sword that absorbs blood from targets. When enough of it is absorbed, it uses the iron in the blood to create a blade up to four meters long. Whoa."

"Pretty nasty weapon." Nora said out loud.

"But effective." Pyrrha pointed out.

**Ren stood up and a zombie jumped on his back like a baby sloth. "Get off me, asshole!" he said in annoyance as he threw it off his back. He jumped back and collided with Jaune. The two turned around just to be sure it was their partner before staying back to back. "Any plans?"**

**Jaune was firing the guns on his Gauntlets as he answered. "None! The best we can do is hold our ground until the bigger weapons are complete."**

**Ren summoned his Aeroblade before pulling off the blue pommel. "That's not gonna happen!" He dropped it and summoned a new but identical pommel he attached to the end. Recharging his weapon. "There are too many of them!"**

"Why are they having such a hard time?" Ruby asked. "They did it before."

"It's different now, Kiddo." Qrow spoke up. "They were fresh before. Now though, they've been fighting for hours and are now injured. Even with their advanced technology, they are still human. And now they have to fight the army again and with their former ally. They need something to tip the scales in their favor."

**At that point, the zombie from before tackled Ren to the ground but he was holding it back with his weapon. Jaune reached back to try to fire on it but two zombies blindsided him and he ended up much the same. He was able to hold the regular and Spartan zombie back, each with a hand as they tried to claw at him. **

"Ren!" Nora and Pyrrha shouted.

"Jaune!" Ruby and Yang shouted with Pyrrha joining a second or two after.

**Ren was punching his in the face, trying to dislodge it. "I said get the fuck off me!" The zombies were getting closer to Jaune before a gunshot went off and killed one zombie. The Spartan turned around just in time for it to get the same fate. A third shot was fired and killed the one on top of Ren. As it fell off him, he stood up. "The fuck?!"**

"I agree." Blake spoke up. "Who did that?"

**They saw Cardin run over to them with weapon in hand. He saluted Jaune, "Omicron Squad reporting for duty, sir!"**

"Cardin!?" the students all shouted in shock.

"Cardin saved Ren and Jaune?" Nora asked, just baffled.

**Jaune stood up but looked at him over his shoulder "You sure have guts to stand in front of me after what happened today."**

**Cardin saluted again, "We are here to repay our debt to you, sir!"**

**Sky was a bit behind, holding two weapons. "I'll take the FA-MAS, you take the AA-12." He told Russel as he handed him the shotgun.**

**Russel took it, "Alright, let me just load it." **

**Further back on a building, Dove was loading a rocket into his RPG.**

"All of CRDL is going to help?" Pyrrha asked. "Why?"

Phoenix cleared his throat. "Before all this happened, Team CRDL, or as they are referred to here as Omicron Squad, is one of the best squadrons around. And Jaune used to be their leader."

"Jaune was the leader?" Yang questioned.

The Writer nodded, "Yup and the Squad respected him greatly. Eventually, Jaune was placed on Bolverk Squad and eventually became Omega. When he and Ren were captured, Omicron Squad did little to help him and they regret doing it. Which is why they are doing this."

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around this…" Weiss said, massaging the side of her head.

"**What's the situation?" Cardin asked as he loaded a fresh magazine into his gun.**

**Ren pulled the Red Fang from the ground, "She's fucking kicking our asses! That's the situation."**

**Cardin loaded his gun, "We will have to kick her's harder then."**

**Jaune raised his right hand and ejected the spent clip from his gauntlet. "Don't take me wrong, the sole reason I didn't kill you on sight is because you aided us with those corpses." Ren kicked Aeroblade off the ground and into his waiting hand as he watched this happen. "But be assured, if you stay here any longer you will die." Jaune summoned Joy, unloaded and loaded it without breaking eye contact from Cardin.**

**Sky looked up before looking back down, "Yeah, yeah, we already know that."**

**Russel was calmly loading his gun, "Told you he was gonna be pissed!" He chuckled.**

"**We would rather die tonight than double-cross you again, sir!" Cardin declared.**

"Damn." Yang said. "This Cardin is… different."

"I agree." Blake said, still stunned. "I'm having trouble actually believing it."

**Ren stomped his foot, "That's the spirit, motherfuckers!" He then blurred off with his weapons in hand.**

**Jaune had Joy on the back of his belt, handle facing his right, and Terminator crossing it, handle facing his left. He also had Armadillo on his upper back. He then summoned Grudge to his hands and aimed down sights. **

Ruby was practically jumping in her seat, "He's going to use them all."

Yang grinned, "Looks like he isn't playing around."

"He's a literal walking arsenal." Tai grinned.

"But if can just summon his weapons, why would he bother keeping them on his person?" Weiss asked.

"It's always good to have a weapon on hand." Qrow suggested. "Besides having more weapons on him means he'll be more prepared for different situations."

**Sky and Russel finished loading their weapons as Cardin fired and killed another zombie. All three raced forward, Cardin and Sky kept killing the undead at a fevered pace. Cardin spun around and fired at any that tried to sneak up on them. Russel kept running, mowing down any zombies with his shotgun. At one point he rifle butted one before blowing it away before he had to reload.**

**Jaune was firing with his rifle as a zombie tried to run behind him with an axe. He deflected it with his rifle before sticking the barrel completely through the corpse. He saw four zombies around him and aimed his rifle. He fired and the bullet ricocheted in air five times, killing the four around him and the one on his gun before the bullet flew safely out into the distance. He pushed the last off his gun before continuing.**

"That is amazing!" Ruby shouted in awe. "I need to know how it does that."

She turned to Phoenix and looked like she was about to tackle him to get the information out of him. He raised an eyebrow, "Don't even think about it." He grinned evilly. "Unless you want me to strap you to that chair." That caused her to pout but listened.

**Ren slashed with his Red Fang, using the extended blade to wipe out three zombies at once with a horizontal cut. He spun around and delivered a vertical slash to take care of another three. He saw another one coming so he angled his Aeroblade and drew it with it still on his back. The air blade hit its target regardless. A zombie fired a handgun at him but missed completely. He blurred into the air and held his Red Fang down. The blades started to glow red. He stabbed it into the ground and released a destructive wave of the same color around him.**

"It can do that too?" Weiss asked stunned.

"When overcharged." Phoenix spoke up. "If he expends a larger amount of blood, it can release a shockwave that can disintegrate anything in the immediate area."

Blake was having flashbacks of Adam using his Semblance and shivered slightly. She shook her head and tried to bury it. The only one to notice was Yang, who was sitting right next to her. The blonde decided to keep that in mind so she could ask her about it later.

**Another one charged him but Ren just used his Silhouette to kick it away. Another one came in and he ensnared it with his Bloodwires before shredding it. After that, the ground shook and a giant abomination landed behind him. It was four times his size, green skin with bones sticking out of the chest, sharp teeth, and horns on its head.**

"What is that now?!" Pyrrha said in shock.

Mostly everyone turned to Phoenix. He shrugged, "Not entirely sure. Best I could find, it's some sort of creature that Penny made after the zombies."

"I know she's your friend, Ruby, but I'm really starting to dislike her." Yang told her sister.

**That was when it grabbed Ren in its massive hand, the shock making him drop Red Fang. It slammed him twice into the ground before he drew his Aeroblade to cut into its hand, releasing him. It tried to stomp on him but Ren easily jumped into the air and slashed it across the face five times with air blades. **

**He landed on the ground and swapped Aeroblade for his Light Arrow. He fired at it seven times in the head but it didn't look like it did much. He then blurred behind it, while grabbing Red Fang as he did. He used it to create a massive blade and to sever its legs, making it collapsed to the ground. He jumped up and drove his weapon into the back of the head, before slashing down it's back. It was still alive do Ren blurred up and severe the head from its shoulders. Ren looked back to make sure it was dead.**

"Those are some durable creatures." Ironwood observed. "This Penny isn't taking any chances in killing her old teammates."

"Hopefully, that doesn't happen with your Miss Polendina, James." Goodwitch told him.

"Me and you both, Glynda." He turned back to the screen. "You and me both…"

**Back to Omicron Squad, Russel and Sky were firing around to cover Cardin as he reloaded. "Die! You fucking creeps!" Sky shouted as he did.**

**Cardin fired again when he was done reloading, "Destroy their brains!" Cardin ordered.**

"**Grenade!" Russel announced as he threw one towards a group of undead. It exploded and took them out. A group of seven zombies weren't too far away. "There rounding up!" Russel informed his squad.**

"**Burn them to Hell!" Sky shouted as they fired. But they were taken care of by Dove and his RPG.**

**Seeing this, Russel pumped his fist, "Oh! Fuck yeah!"**

"Man, they work together way better than they do in our world." Nora said out loud.

"They're soldiers." Winter stated. "You learn to work together or you die."

"They also had Jaune as a leader, Nora." Ren added.

"Good points." She said with a nod and a fistful of popcorn.

**Jaune had impaled Grudge into the ground as he fired at more zombies with Joy. Ren blurred over to him shortly after, Aeroblade back on his belt and Red Fang still in hand. "Jesus fucking shit! There's no end to them!" He said in annoyance.**

**Jaune reloaded his revolver as he spoke, "Cut the snake's head off and the body will die…"**

"**Copy that." He got ready to run off with his sword in hand.**

**Jaune put Joy back on his back before grabbing Grudge. "I'll provide cover…" He aimed down sights. "Go!" Ren blurred off. Running past Omicron Squad, two more abominations and many zombie before leaping towards Penny. He then swung forward with his blood powered sword.**

"That would be a good move." Ozpin stated. "With Mr. Ren keeping Miss Polendina distracted, she can't attack them from a distance or create more of those monsters. Mr. Arc can deal with those creatures and Mr. Winchester's squad deals with the corpses." He chuckled. "They work together so flawlessly."

"What's so funny, Oz?" Qrow asked.

"Nothing, Qrow." He grinned. "Just glad to know I was right in making our Mr. Arc a leader. He was born for it." That made the rest of his team and Ruby smile at that.

**Jaune was currently trying to hold up a massive piece of debris that another abomination was trying to crush him with. He was using both his arms to hold it up as he legs started to buckle. Grudge was on the ground a few feet behind him. He eventually pushed it off him enough to jump backwards. The debris smashing into the ground. He then ran onto it before jumping towards the face of the beast. As he was flying, he released the jets from this left Gauntlet and punched into the face, his body hidden in the crevice he just made. The Creature fell onto its back and Jaune pulled himself free to stand on its face, now covered in its black ichor.**

Yang flinched slightly, "Okay, that was brutal."

"Effective though." Qrow added. "Whatever works if it means the monster is dealt with and he survives."

Weiss shivered, "I never want to be covered in that much… blood. Ever."

"I agree." Blake nodded, "Especially with my other set of ear. I don't want to imagine it getting in them."

**But even with half of it's face caved in; it was still alive. He pulled Armadillo off his back with his left hand before summoning the Artic Empress in his right. He leapt high into the air before firing his ice-based firearm, freezing its entire head. He dismissed it before falling and shattering the head with his full armored weight. He jumped up onto it's chest with his former teammate's weapon still in hand. He aimed and fired three explosives at once before all flying towards a second abomination running towards him. **

**Back to the normal soldiers, Sky was firing his weapon when he heard Russel shout. "Your six!" That is when another zombie ran at his back and jumped on him. **

"**Get him off me!" he shouted as he started to rifle butt it repeatedly. It didn't do much and bit into his side, getting a scream from Sky.**

"Oh, no!" Nora shouted. "Will that turn him into a zombie?!"

"I don't think so." Ruby said nervously, "It's not like the usual zombies created from some sort of infection or disease. Penny created them, so…"

"**Got you!" Cardin shouted as he fired and killed it instantly. **

"Damn, Cardin saved him." Pyrrha said in shock.

"This is so unusual." Blake added.

**As it fell off of himself, Sky looked at the bloody chunk missing from his side and placed a hand over it. "Fuck! That's gonna hurt tomorrow!"**

**More zombies charged Cardin as he fired at it with his gun until it ran out of ammo. He reflexively drew his sidearm and killed the rest of the zombies that were trying to kill him. With them dealt with, he reloaded his gun, "There's no tomorrow for us, soldiers!" As he continued to fire.**

"That's not the greatest inspirational speech." Ruby pointed out.

"But it is the hard truth." Ironwood spoke up. "Every soldier knows that every mission they go on can be their last. They live their lives knowing that it can end at any moment. But they do so for the betterment of their people."

"Even you?" Weiss asked as she turned back to her sister.

Winter nodded, "I may be a Specialist, Weiss, but that doesn't mean I'm above putting my life on the line if the need should arise."

Weiss had a conflicted look on her face before she turned back around. Winter saw this all and her face softened. She reached out and placed her hand on her younger sisters shoulder to give it a brief squeeze. Weiss' hand came you to gently hold it for a few seconds.

**Jaune dove under the feet of the abomination before rolling and picking up Grudge. He aimed at the injured but relatively fine giant monster. He aimed and fired. The bullet went through its chest before ricocheting back into it. It kept climbing higher as it kept rebounding until it came out of its forehead. It crumpled to its knees but was still alive. Dismissing Grudge, he charged forward and activated his left Gauntlet. With an uppercut, he split up a third of its body. He did the same with his other Gauntlet before finally performing one last normal upper cut, splitting it in two. **

"He _really_ has a knack for brutality." Tai said with a concerned eyebrow raised.

"Don't worry, Dad." Ruby turned to him. "Our Jaune is nothing like that."

"I hope so." He sighed. "He does anything to your sister and he'll have to deal with me."

Yang turned around, "Why me?"

Tai gave her a deadpan, "Yang, I raised you. I can tell you've developed some sort of feelings for the boy." That made her blush and quickly turned around. That also got Raven to stare at the back of her head again. Her face giving nothing away of what she was thinking.

**He saw another group of zombies ahead of him and he charged forward. He summoned the Artic Empress to his hands and leapt into the air. While in the air, the silver cylindrical component started to glow light blue before Jaune slammed the front of the gun into the ground. As that happened, the small area around him froze solid.**

"It can do that?" Ruby questioned and looked back to the information she had. "Okay. It can expend three rounds from its magazine to create an ice shockwave to freeze anything nearby. Still want to try to replicate this with Dust." She turned to Weiss who choice to ignore her again. She did _not_ want to be a part of this.

**He dismissed his firearm before pulling both his hands over his head. Activating both Gauntlets, he slammed his fists into the ground and shattered all the ice and frozen undead. **

**Ren was thrown onto a rooftop, cracking it from his impact. Red Fang flying from his hand and flying further away. He looked up and quickly rolled away as an energy blast came down where he was. He kept rolling to dodge two more before getting back to his feet. He quickly blurred across the roof to where his weapon had imbedded itself. His hand nearly touched it but he quickly jumped back as Penny came down with a blast of energy around her. **

"She's separating him from his weapon." Winter noticed. "Good strategy."

"Quite." Goodwitch added. "She knows she is more powerful and separating him from the tools that could give him a fighting chance is very smart."

**The two narrowed their eyes at the other before they charged at each other, Ren using Blur while Penny teleported. The android reached him first and threw him into the air. With both her hands extended towards him, she tried to fire a blast at him but he used Blur to get back to the roof. Penny got in close and tried to kick him in the face but Ren dodged it. He then started to assault her with a kick followed by a punch and another kick to send her back. He used Blur to close the distance and hit her again alongside his Silhouette, sending her skidding back.**

**Penny had a furious look on her face as she released another wave of energy from around her. She charged forward again but managed to land numerous kicks with both her legs. Using her right leg then left, right again and left again. The numerous kicks rocking Ren's head and making him slowly backpedal. She ended it with a kick to his chin that sent him into the air.**

"She's even skilled in hand-to-hand?" Ruby asked before throwing her hands into the air. "What can't she do?"

"It's not uncommon for Huntsmen and Huntresses to learn to fight without a weapon." Ozpin spoke up. "Your reliance on your weapon is your greatest crutch, Miss Rose."

Ruby turned to her uncle for some support but he just shrugged, "Don't look at me, Kiddo. I can handle myself well enough without my scythe. It can happen. I just never taught you since your dad is Tai and all." He motioned to his brother-in-law right next to him.

**He angled himself and went for a thrust kick that she was able to deflect. With that he used his Blur to get close and used the speed to hit her harder. Along with that, his Silhouette would appear to help keep up the pressure. He did this three more time, keeping her off balance before he sent her flying back with two punches to her chest.**

**With her flying backwards, Ren blurred back to Red Fang. The instant he had any sort of grip on the weapon, he blurred away again. Penny stopped herself from going back and stood there, levitating. That was when Ren appeared behind her and ran her through with his sword, right below her breast.**

"He got her!" Ruby cheered before remembering it was Penny and felt conflicted.

"There we go!" Yang added as she pumped her fist.

"Way to go, Ren!" Nora cheered as she shook her partner relentlessly.

**She grit her teeth as her hands reflexively went to the foreign object sticking out of her. Ren had his back to her as he spoke, "Looks like that army drained you up."**

**Her scowl deepened as she raised her right hand with another ball of energy in it. She slammed it onto the roof top that created a large explosion. Jaune saw this and turned to the building with Artic Empress currently in hand. Ren landed beside him, covered in soot but still relatively fine. **

**Across from them, Penny teleported several feet away. The wound in her stomach started to glow white before it healed. "Sorry to disappoint but you achieved nothing."**

"Damn it!" Yang said in frustration as she fell back into her seat.

"It should cost he energy to heal that though." Ironwood tried to surmise. "So, it still was beneficial, right?" The General turned to Phoenix, who just nodded to confirm.

**Ren rested Red Fang on his shoulder and Jaune cocked his weapon to eject the spent ice magazine as he spoke. "That's not true. We proved that you can bleed."**

"**And anything that bleeds, sure as hell can die!" Ren finished. **

"**Tch.." Penny said as she placed both her hands on her hips. "Like you had a chance to begin with… You're just delaying the inevitable."**

**Jaune was still observing her, "Something is off…" he said quietly. **

"**What are you talking about?" Ren asked.**

"**By the time you joined our ranks, I had already co-worked alongside Penny in several Black-Ops and… Sure, she has new powers and all but… She seems weaker than before." Jaune explained.**

"Her power output has been weakened?" Winter asked stunned. "Just how powerful was she before?" Those who knew her could hear the slight tremor of fear in her voice.

**Penny looked down to her hands and clenched them. Green electricity was coming from them but she could tell that something was wrong. She growled, "You thought I wouldn't notice, Askad? This wasn't an upgrade at all! You just wanted to restrict my powers!"**

"**Huh?" Ren asked as he tilted his head.**

**Jaune smirked, "So that was it. Askad knew they were plotting something and decided to lock her powers down in case he died before warning us."**

"How could he do that?" Ozpin asked.

"Askad wasn't just a soldier." Phoenix started to explain. "He was one of the best hackers and an explosives expert. As well as a master of robotics and engineering. He helped to design a large chunk of the arsenal that Bolverk Squad has used. He created those sunglasses she is wearing to slowly weaken her power. He could do this because of his knowledge of their robotics. And more so… he was the one to create Penny in this world."

There was a silence as everyone digested this, "This Askad was Pietro?" Ironwood asked in shock. Phoenix just nodded.

**Penny removed the pair of sunglasses from her face. "Nice try…" As she held it in her hands, more green electricity started to race across the sunglasses. They started to shake as the lenses cracked until finally they shattered, sending yellow fractals into the air around them. She then giggled, "Let's try this again, shall we?" As she said that, a black energy manifested in her hands. As the shadow-like energy left, a mask was in its place. It looked like a dark grey hockey mask made of metal.**

**She raised it to her face as Omicron squad started to get closer. Dove had rejoined his squad as Russel was helping Sky move forward. As soon as it was on her face, Penny's eyes turned black. That was when a massive amount of energy was released from her. Her hair was glowing a bright green as well as every one of her fingers. Green electricity was racing across her body.**

"What the hell was that!?" Yang shouted.

"I don't know!" Ruby said in a panic. "I have nothing on it."

"That's because it's not in there." Phoenix replied but was just staring ta the screen. In a grim voice he continued, "That is her Executioner's Mask. When she puts it on, she gives up half her vital energy to increase her destructive and offensive capabilities three-fold."

"What!?" Everyone, including Raven, shouted.

He nodded, "She is done playing around. This is her trump card."

**The amount of air she was displacing was actually pushing the Omicron members backwards. That was until Jaune placed a large piece od debris in front of them to stop it. He then stood behind it, ready to protect his former squad.**

Pyrrha just smiled, "Always trying to protect people… That's just who you are, Jaune."

**When she was done with her power up, she spoke but now her voice was heavily distorted. "**_**Now…" **_**Ren pulled Red Fang off his shoulders ready to fight.**_** "Let me taste your pain…" **_**Meanwhile, Jaune had traded out the Arctic Empress for Grudge. He reloaded it before aiming at her.**_** "And your despair!**_**"**

**Ren raced forward and tried to hit her multiple times with is martial arts but with each attack her just teleported a few feet back, effortlessly. He pulled Red Fang back before slashing downward with a massive blade. She raised her hands and her Necrotic Shield came up to block it. The blade tried to cut through the forcefield but it didn't budge. **

"She was overwhelming before. But now…" Weiss said just stunned.

**Eventually the blade faded away and Ren blurred back to get some distance from her. He blurred at her to try to impale her but she just grabbed him by the neck as he tried, Red Fang flying from his hand. At that time, Jaune fired his sniper but it just hit her Shield. She threw him forward as Jaune fired again. The bullet deflected off her shield again but Ren got caught in, dealing heavy damage to him.**

"Ren!" Nora said in worry, grabbing his hand again.

**He fell to the ground afterwards and he was breathing raggedly. He looked up to see Penny holding a large energy ball about the size of him. She just stared at him as he stared back. Knowing he couldn't dodge; he just gave her the finger. That's when he was blasted away.**

**Another sniper round bounced off her Shield and she looked up where Jaune was. Another bullet bounced off her Shield before she teleported away. Jaune turned as soon as she appeared a few feet behind him. He dismissed Grudge before leaping at her with a punch. She teleported further back so his fist just broke a section of the roof they were on. **

**He aimed his left Gauntlet and fired at her but it was blocked by her Shield. He activated his right Gauntlet, the energy jets flaring. She created an explosion where he was but he jumped into the air for his Gauntlet's explosion packed punch. Sadly, it just met her Shield again. He bounced off it but when he was back on the ground, he fired everything left in his Gauntlets. Penny brought her Shield but and was slowly being forced back by the sheer amount od bullets hitting her Shield. **

"He's running out of options." Blake said, really starting to worry about what the outcome would be.

**He ran dry so he pulled his fists back and clenched his hands to reload before renewing his assault on her. Penny kept blocking the bullets as she started forming another large energy ball within the Shield. When Jaune saw that, he stopped shooting and pulled Armadillo from his back, using it as a shield. It hit and a large explosion erupted on the top of the building. As the smoke cleared, Jaune was no worse for wear but the Armadillo had massive amounts of damage done to it. It was no longer functionable. **

"That didn't get a scratch on it until now." Pyrrha observed. "What would that have done to him if it hit?"

**Ren then landed beside him with Red Fang back in hand. Penny teleported into the air, high above the building. She narrowed her eyes and pointed her left index finger into the air. Dozens of massive energy spears formed in the air around her and the building.**

"Okay, now that is absolutely terrifying." Qrow said as he swallowed.

A part of Raven had to agree but she would never admit it out loud. That did not stop her hands from shaking though.

**She was getting ready to send them down when an explosion hit her back against her Necrotic Shield. With that, more bullets hit her from the combine guns of Cardin, Sky and Russel, who was using a submachine gun. **

"Fools." Raven stated but everyone was just ignoring her, too focused on what was happening.

**Without turning to them. Penny raised her hands into the air and clenched her fists. They turned to the sky when they saw a shadow surround them. They looked up to see another building coming towards them. "Holy Fuck!" Russel shouted. **

"Enough with the buildings!" Yang shouted.

"**Run!" Cardin ordered.**

"**Move it!" Sky added as all four of them tried to run as fast as possible to get away from the building.**

**Russel turned back to it as he kept running. He saw how close it was and realized, "We ain't gonna make it!" That is when the building fell on them.**

The students just stared in horror while Goodwitch and Ozpin looked down. Even if they weren't their students, it still hurt to think they were snuffed out.

**Penny looked over her shoulder at her handiwork before she was knock further into the air by Ren using Blur. Penny had her right hand on the actual blade of Red Fang to stop him from slicing into her. As they were struggling, he pulled back his other arm to show that he was holding Armadillo.**

"Why does he have that?" Yang asked.

"Jaune probably gave it him." Blake answered.

She turned to him, "I got that. I meant why would he want it. He hasn't used a single gun this entire time."

**He pulled back the heavily damaged weapon and the bayonets and red accents started to glow red. He pulled Red Fang back as he tried to shove the glowing bayonet into her but met her Shield. He kept pushing and eventually it was pushed in enough that it finally self-destructed.**

"He blew up the weapon!?" Ruby shouted in shock and unadulterated anger.

"It part of its functions." Phoenix replied. "Askad designed it to self-destruct if it ever became to damaged. Like I said, Askad loved explosions."

**Back on the ground, Cardin had his arms over his head but was unharmed. He looked around to see that Jaune was standing at the edge of the building, using all his strength and both Gauntlets' energy jets to stop it from crushing them. "Sir!" Cardin said in shock.**

"Jaune saved them!" Ruby said happily. She may not like her world's CRDL but that didn't mean they deserved to be crushed.

"He's holding up an entire building…" Nora said in wonder.

"Are you okay, Nora?" Pyrrha asked.

She nodded, "I need to learn how to do that."

"**Get out of the way!" he shouted as he struggle with the literal weight of the building.**

"**Yes, sir!" He responded.**

**Ren was flying down as he was releasing a salvo of projectiles from his Light Arrow. Penny was falling as well but her Necrotic Shield was up and blocking every one that would've hit her. That was when she teleported. With an energy projectile pulled back, he looked around, "The fuck did she go?!"**

**As Omicron Squad ran out from under the building, Russel just happened to look into the sky. "Shit! Above!"**

**Higher in the air, Penny had her hand raised and a massive energy ball above her head. She swung down and sent it hurtling down. All of Omicron Squad was looking at it before turning to their old leader, still holding the building. "Sir!" Cardin shouted and Jaune looked over his shoulder to him. "It has been a pleasure to fight alongside you one last time." All four saluted him. "We wish you the best of luck!"**

"**What are you talking about?" he asked.**

"Yeah… what're they talking about?" Blake asked but had a bad feeling on what was going to happen.

**All of them loaded their weapons as Cardin ordered, "Aim for the building!" He, Sky and Russel fired at the building, the bullets causing cracks to form around it. When that was done, Sky and Russel threw grenades, while Cardin fired his grenade attachment and Dove shot his RPG. They exploded and the piece of building he was holding collapsed and buried him in debris.**

"What are they planning?" Nora asked.

**The blast got low enough and released the mother of all explosions. It vaporized the building Jaune was under. Ren was still in the air before he was overtaken by a bright light. Jaune still buried was soon overtaken the same way. Omicron stood there as the light washed over them, turning them black and then to ash.**

"They died?" Ruby questioned in shock.

Winter nodded, "The life of a soldier."

**The light died down and Jaune opened his eyes. He was unharmed because of the building and debris that was over him. The only thing missing was his helmet. **

Pyrrha gasped as her hands went to her mouth. She stared at the screen, "They sacrificed themselves to save him…" That made a heavy weight settle in the hearts of all of the students.

**He sat up before he looked down to his hands. He opened them as dirt and ash fell from them. He clenched them as he raised them above his head, "God…" He slammed them onto the ground. "Damn it!" he shouted.**

"He really cared or them…" Yang said sadly.

**As he was on the ground, Ren's hand settled onto his left shoulder. Instantly, Jaune grabbed it before standing up and throwing it off him. Ren was taken aback as his faceplate and scarf were missing. They both faced forward, still ready to fight.**

**Several feet in front of them, Penny teleported in front of them. Jaune instantly drew Joy and fired all six shots at her. Her Shield came up to stop every bullet, "**_**Futile, futile efforts…**_**"**

"**Well… we're pretty much fucked up, aren't we?" Ren asked.**

"**Right…" Jaune agreed as he dropped his arm. **

"They can't give up." Nora said to herself. "They can't."

**Penny manifested a scythe made of pure energy. It rested on her shoulders as he held the end with her right hand. "**_**You two are persistent but I've grown tired of this game.**_**" She looked over their shoulders to see something rocket propelled flying their way. "**_**And you are…**_**"**

**A black robot with red accents landed between her and the two cyborgs. It had two yellow lights on it's chest, a yellow V-shaped visor, and a yellow light on its forehead. It just faced her and nothing else. **

**Ren pointed at it, "Who the fuck-"**

**Jaune interrupted him, "Who are you?"**

**It didn't turn around but in the same distorted force from before said simply, "A friend…"**

The voice sounded familiar and Ironwood couldn't stop himself from saying, "Pietro?"

Everyone turned to him before looking to Phoenix, "I thought you said Askad died?"

Phoenix had a half grin as he answered, "I guess you'll have to watch to see what happens."

* * *

**A/N- Here it is! Came out a lot sooner than I thought but I'm not complaining. Just one more part to go people!**

**And to the Guest reviewer that keep saying 'Do Bojack Horseman', I said in chapter 1 that I will not be taking suggestions. I'm not doing Bojack, so please stop**


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